GameStop Is Raising Up to $1.3B to Buy Bitcoin

GameStop is gearing up for a major cryptocurrency play, with plans to raise up to $1.3 billion through convertible debt to grow its Bitcoin reserves.

GameStop (GME) announced plans to issue convertible senior notes for up to $1.3 billion to qualified institutional buyers. The company also granted the initial purchasers a 13-day option to buy up to an additional $200 million in notes.

The notes will mature on April 1, 2030, and will bear no interest. The notes will be convertible into shares of GameStop common stock at an initial conversion rate of 91 shares of common stock for every $1,000 principal amount of notes.

The notes are part of GameStop’s broader strategy to invest in Bitcoin, which was announced earlier this week. The company’s board of directors has approved an Investment Policy that permits the company to acquire and hold macroeconomic assets, including Bitcoin.

In a separate filing, GameStop said it plans to use the funds raised from the offering for general corporate purposes, which may include investing in Bitcoin.

GameStop’s move comes as several other companies, such as Michael Saylor’s MicroStrategy (MSTR) and Semler Scientific (SMLR), have issued convertible debt to fund bitcoin purchases.

MicroStrategy began buying bitcoin in 2015, and has since amassed one of the largest corporate bitcoin treasuries in the world. Saylor’s company has faced criticism from some investors for its bitcoin strategy, but MicroStrategy has maintained that it is part of a long-term plan to create value for shareholders.

“How much Bitcoin does $GME need to buy to gain the respect of Bitcoiners?” Saylor asked in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

GME stock dropped more than 8% in after-hours trading Wednesday after the company revealed plans to raise funds for Bitcoin. This follows a 12% surge in GameStop shares earlier today as the company announced that its board of directors had unanimously approved adding Bitcoin to its treasury reserve assets.

Investors could be concerned about potential share dilution from the convertible notes, which could lead to a drop in the stock price. However, like MicroStrategy’s bitcoin strategy has boosted MSTR, GameStop’s move could drive long-term growth for its stock.

Bitcoin has recovered from earlier lows, rising to $87,000 after briefly dipping to $86,000.

GameStop’s planned bitcoin investment follows reports from CNBC a month earlier that the company was exploring cryptocurrency. The interest in crypto was further fueled by CEO Ryan Cohen’s post with MicroStrategy’s Michael Saylor, who holds over 447,000 Bitcoins.

While MicroStrategy’s bitcoin bet has boosted its stock by 84% over the past year, investors and analysts on Wall Street are skeptical about whether GameStop can replicate a similar surge in its stock price with its crypto move.