Tom Lee urges BitMine shareholders to approve share increase ahead of January 14 vote

Finance Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email Tom Lee urges BitMine shareholders to approve share increase ahead of January 14 vote The chairman of the former bitcoin miner-turned-ether treasury firm reiterated his view that Ethereum is the future of finance. By Olivier Acuna | Edited by Stephen Alpher Jan 2, 2026, 5:12 p.m. Tom Lee, chairman of ETH treasury firm Bitmine, urged shareholders to approve a board proposal for a sharp increase in the company's authorized share count. What to know : Tom Lee, chairman of Bitmine Immersion (BMNR), urged shareholders to approve an increase in the company's authorized share count from 500 million to 50 billion. Lee assured shareholders that the increase is not intended to dilute shares, but instead to enable capital raising, dealmaking, and future share splits. Shareholders have until January 14 to vote on the proposal, with the annual meeting scheduled for January 15 in Las Vegas. In this article BTC BTC $ 90,478.75 ◢ 2.57 % ETH ETH $ 3,132.08 ◢ 4.84 % SOL SOL $ 131.41 ◢ 5.09 % Tom Lee, chairman of ether ETH $ 3,132.08 treasury firm BitMine Immersion (BMNR), urged shareholders to approve a board proposal for a sharp increase in the company's authorized share count. In a start-of-the-year message , Lee said the proposal to boost the company's number of shares to 50 billion from 500 million is not a precursor to a move to "dilute" shareholders. STORY CONTINUES BELOW Don't miss another story. Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today . See all newsletters Sign me up By signing up, you will receive emails about CoinDesk products and you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . “[This]t doesn’t mean we’re issuing 50 billion shares. That’s what we want the total max shares to be,” Lee said. Acknowledging that a higher share count does make it easier to enable the company to raise capital, Lee reminded that it also allows BitMine to pursue opportunistic dealmaking and — most importantly, according to Lee — accommodate future share splits. Lee argued that BitMine’s share price has increasingly tracked ether since the company pivoted last year to make ETH its primary treasury asset. If ether's price rises over the years as he expects — as high as $250,000 if bitcoin reaches $1 million — splits will be necessary to keep shares "accessible" to the public. Lee framed the proposal within a broader thesis that Ethereum will play a central role in Wall Street’s push toward tokenized financial markets, pointing to public comments by BlackRock CEO Larry Fink about blockchain-based market infrastructure. Lee has separately said he has been accumulating ether personally, aligning his macro view with BitMine’s treasury strategy. Lee reminded shareholders that they have until Jan. 14 to vote on the proposal, with BitMine’s annual shareholder meeting scheduled for Jan. 15 in Las Vegas. Bitmine Ether More For You KuCoin Hits Record Market Share as 2025 Volumes Outpace Crypto Market By CoinDesk Research Dec 22, 2025 Commissioned by KuCoin KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market. What to know : KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025 , equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month , marking its strongest year on record. This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume , as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes , which slowed during periods of lower market volatility. Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split , each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line. Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity , reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover. Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity , indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes. View Full Report More For You $110 billion in crypto left South Korea in 2025 owing to strict trading rules By Olivier Acuna | Edited by Sheldon Reback 2 hours ago While South Korean financial officials acknowledged the need for new rules, disagreements over stablecoins delayed a broader crypto framework. What to know : South Koreans transferred over 160 trillion won to foreign crypto exchanges last year due to domestic regulatory restrictions. The delay in implementing the Digital Asset Basic Act has left a regulatory gap, pushing investors to offshore platforms. Domestic exchanges face strict regulations, limiting them to spot trading, while foreign platforms offer more complex products. 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