Tether-backed Twenty One Capital reported $1.087 billion in third-quarter net income, largely driven by unrealized gains on its bitcoin holdings.

Key Takeaways

  • Twenty One Capital posted $1.087 billion in Q3 profit, largely from unrealized bitcoin gains.
  • Twenty One Capital shares fell on the day despite strong earnings, while operating cash flow remained negative.
  • Twenty One Capital may pursue share buybacks as it seeks new revenue streams and manages $486.5 million in debt.

Twenty One Capital Shares Slide Despite Billion-Dollar Profit

Twenty One Capital reported net income of $1.087 billion for the third quarter ended Sept. 30, a swing of more than $1 billion into profitability largely attributed to a noncash fair-value gain on the company’s corporate bitcoin treasury. However, the release of the third-quarter results failed to reverse a steady decline in the company’s share price over the preceding week.

According to market data, the Tether-backed company‘s stock declined 1%, or 5 cents per share, on Friday, Nov. 13. That pushed the firm’s weekly decline to 9.7%, with a 22% slide over the past month.

The headline profit marked Twenty One Capital’s first profitable quarter since its public debut through a business combination in 2025. In the third quarter of 2025, the company recorded a net loss of $656,000, illustrating how closely its financial results under generally accepted accounting principles track cryptocurrency market valuations.

Bitcoin’s valuation climbed sharply in Q3, rising from about $58,600 at the end of the prior quarter to roughly $83,700 by Sept. 30, 2026. Yet after a lackluster October, the rally unraveled, erasing the bulk of those Q3 gains and pushing the price below $69,000 by Nov. 13.

CEO Rapha Zagury used the accompanying shareholder letter to temper expectations, reminding investors that increases in the value of existing holdings are distinct from operating cash flow.

“We welcome bitcoin’s appreciation. But gains from an asset we own are not the same as earnings from businesses we operate,” Zagury wrote in the letter.

Negative Operating Cash Flow Highlights Profitability Challenges

During the third quarter, the company reported negative operating cash flow, using approximately $1.7 million in operations and bringing its year-to-date operating cash outflow to $13.3 million.

Management emphasized that its long-term objective is to build high-margin, cash-generating businesses around its bitcoin holdings, including mining, lending, treasury operations, and energy-related initiatives, in an effort to establish sustainable, independent revenue streams.

Twenty One Capital has $486.5 million in outstanding principal on convertible notes carrying a 1% coupon and maturing in 2030. Approximately 16,116 BTC, representing more than a third of the company’s total bitcoin treasury, is pledged as collateral against these debt obligations.

The filing also highlighted ongoing enhancements to the company’s corporate governance framework. David Goldschmidt, formerly head of global capital markets at Skadden, was recently appointed to the board of directors and its audit committee, strengthening the company’s oversight as it expands its operations.

Looking ahead, Twenty One Capital’s management continues to evaluate strategic initiatives and capital allocation measures, including potential share repurchases if its stock trades below the underlying value of its bitcoin holdings.

Twenty One Capital Ownership Shifts as Tether Buys Out Softbank’s XXI Position

Tether International has acquired Softbank's equity stake in Twenty One Capital, the NYSE-listed bitcoin treasury company holding approximately 43,514 BTC,…

Twenty One Capital Ownership Shifts as Tether Buys Out Softbank’s XXI Position

Tether International has acquired Softbank's equity stake in Twenty One Capital, the NYSE-listed bitcoin treasury company holding approximately 43,514 BTC,…

Twenty One Capital Ownership Shifts as Tether Buys Out Softbank’s XXI Position

Tether International has acquired Softbank's equity stake in Twenty One Capital, the NYSE-listed bitcoin treasury company holding approximately 43,514 BTC,…

About the author

WRITTEN BYTerence ZimwaraAuthor/Writer

Terence Zimwara is an award-winning journalist and author specializing in the intersection of African macroeconomics and digital finance.