--- title: "Tesla Sold Its Bitcoin at Pretty Much the Worst Moment Imaginable" description: "Tesla massively missed the mark in the second quarter of this year, reporting that its automotive revenue fell a whopping 16 percent, compounding last quarter's financial woes. And as sales continue to plummet worldwide, the Elon Musk-led EV maker could really use a lifeline in the form of billions of cash. However, as CNBC reports, its digital assets investments likely won't be the solution. According to its investor deck, its current cryptocurrency holdings are worth $1.24 billion. While that's marginally higher than the $722 million from 2024, the company's Bitcoin holdings could be several times larger. That's in large part […]" date: "2025-07-25" modified: "2025-07-25" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/tesla-sold-bitcoin-worst-moment" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Bitcoin" - "Blockchain" - "Cryptocurrency" - "Future Society" - "Tesla" tags: - "bitcoin" - "elon musk" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # Tesla Sold Its Bitcoin at Pretty Much the Worst Moment Imaginable ![Tesla lost out on much larger gains from its Bitcoin after unloading three quarters of its holdings in mid-2022, pretty much the worst time.]() *\Image: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images\* ## Horrible Timing Tesla massively missed the mark in the second quarter of this year, [conceding this week]() that its automotive revenue fell a whopping 16 percent from last year, on top of [last quarter's financial woes](). As sales continue to plummet worldwide, the Elon Musk-led EV maker could really use a lifeline in the form of billions of cash. But as [*CNBC* reports](), its digital asset investments likely won't be the solution. Tesla boasted in its investor deck that while its Bitcoin was worth only $722 million in 2024, it's spiked to $1.24 billion after the past year's rally. Bigger picture, though, the company lost out on much larger gains when it unloaded three-quarters of its holdings in mid-2022, pretty much the worst time it could've done so. During the company's Q2 earnings call in 2022, [Musk rationalized]() that the company was "uncertain as to when the COVID lockdowns in China would alleviate" at the time, alluding to a [massive sales crunch in the country]() caused by the pandemic. While it's unclear at what price it sold most of its Bitcoin, the token was trading at below the $30,000 mark by the end of that quarter — a mere quarter of what the coin is worth now. ## Premature Unloading According to *CNBC*'s calculations, the $936 million worth of Bitcoin the company cashed out in 2022 would be worth over $3.5 billion today — money that the carmaker could certainly use right now. However, Tesla's woes this year aren't the result of a global pandemic; they're because of Musk's leadership. The mercurial CEO has alienated huge swathes of the population with his [embrace of far-right ideologies]() and [disastrous decision-making]() at the helm of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, greatly tarnishing the brand in the process. Now that Trump is throwing his full weight behind loosening cryptocurrency regulations, part of a larger effort to enrich himself and his family, Bitcoin is booming. And three years later, Tesla executives — including Musk — must be kicking themselves for cashing out far too soon. **More on Bitcoin:** *[Someone Just Sold Their 2011 Bitcoin for a 17 Million Percent Profit]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()