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Tesla, has once again used its audacious cryptocurrency approach to boost its finances. In its October 22 earnings release, the company said it had an unrealized profit of $80 million (Rp1.3 trillion) from its Bitcoin holdings in Q3 2025.
Tesla’s 11,509 BTC (worth $1.35 billion as of September 30) stayed the same since early 2022. The company’s position didn’t change, even though the price of Bitcoin rose from $83,000 in Q2 to $119,000. According to BitcoinTreasuries, this increase is due to new FASB fair-value accounting guidelines.
It shows that Tesla is the 11th-largest corporate Bitcoin holder in the world, behind Coinbase and Trump Media but ahead of Hut 8. The crypto windfall makes Tesla’s $28.1 billion (Rp467 trillion) revenue beat look even better. Beat Wall Street’s $26.36 billion forecast. However, a 37% drop in net income to $1.37 billion and a small drop in TSLA stock to $438.97 in after-hours trading (down 3.18%, see finance card above) show that the company’s core performance was mixed.
This quarter shows how corporate finance and digital assets are becoming more connected, thanks to Bitcoin’s rise, which helps Tesla’s treasury. This establishes a precedent for openness in crypto-driven results.
Bitcoin’s Boost: $80 Million More Without Trading a Single Coin
Tesla’s crypto profit for the third quarter came completely from the rise in the price of Bitcoin. The company hasn’t bought or sold any since it sold 10% of its $1.5 billion holding in a liquidity test sale in 2022. The 11,509 BTC, bought for $1.5 billion in January 2021, went up from $1.235 billion (Rp20.5 trillion) in Q2 to $1.35 billion by September 30. This was a 30% increase in the price of BTC, which went from $83,000 to $119,000.
Tesla made $62 million to $80 million in crypto profits in Q2 and $80 million in unrealized gains in Q3. Under new FASB standards that go into effect in January 2025, these gains will be listed as “other income.” The fair-value rule is different from previous ones because it now records quarterly market swings, which makes Tesla’s books more transparent but also more volatile.
Musk’s long-term goal is to make Bitcoin a hedge against inflation, and he said this again during the Q3 earnings call, implying that Robotaxi could start accepting BTC payments by 2026. Tesla’s 11th-largest Bitcoin holdings in the world, according to BitcoinTreasuries, are less than MicroStrategy’s 252,220 BTC ($30 billion) but more than Hut 8’s 9,366 BTC. This shows how much power Tesla has in the crypto world.
Changing the rules for how to account for crypto
The Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (FASB) 2025 update changed the way companies like Tesla report digital assets. Before, corporations marked crypto at the lowest price throughout a time, which kept profits from being realized until the sale. Fair-value standards now require quarterly changes to market prices, which have a direct effect on income statements. This meant that Tesla had to recognize a $80 million gain when Bitcoin rose, even if there were no transactions. Analysts like Dan Ives of Wedbush call this “a double-edged sword” since it makes things clearer but also makes profitability more volatile. This fits with what is happening around the world: The MiCA framework in the EU and the MAS framework in Singapore both push for real-time values, which shows that crypto is becoming a part of business finance.
Critics point out the risks: A drop in Bitcoin prices, as what happened after the October 11 tariffs, might turn profits into losses. @CryptoWhale warned on X: “Tesla’s BTC bet adds $80 million now, but a 20% crash wipes it out.” But Tesla’s $41.6 billion in cash and $4.3 billion in adjusted EBITDA are much more than the $80 million, making crypto a strategic, not existential, gamble.
Revenue up, profit down, and TSLA down
Tesla’s Q3 showed strength beyond crypto: With $28.1 billion in sales, up 15% from last year, the company exceeded LSEG’s expectation of $26.37 billion. This was thanks to a 6% rise in automotive sales ($21.2 billion) and an 81% rise in energy storage installations.
But net income decreased 37% to $1.37 billion (39¢/share), missing Wall Street’s 54¢/share projection, because AI and Cybercab R&D spending were 50% higher. The financial card above shows TSLA at $440.62, down 3.18% after hours from $448.98. This illustrates that investors are worried about margins even if Musk said he would produce 1.8 to 1.9 million cars in 2025.
What this means for crypto and corporate treasuries
Tesla’s $80 million gain, which is just a small part of its $4.3 billion EBITDA, shows how Bitcoin is becoming more important on corporate balance sheets. The FASB guidelines that will go into effect in 2025 will make this even more clear. Tesla’s HODL strategy, which hasn’t changed since 2022, sets a standard for companies like Block, which made $220 million in Q2. But there are hazards of volatility: Market models say that a 20% decrease in BTC may wipe out $270 million. It means validation for crypto: Institutional investors like Tesla make Bitcoin more popular, and their bets help boost its $4.27 trillion market valuation.
Conclusion
Tesla’s $80 million profit from Bitcoin in the third quarter of 2025, which brought its total to $1.35 billion, shows how powerful crypto can be for businesses under new FASB fair-value guidelines. It added Rp1.3 trillion to its ledger without making a single exchange.
Tesla’s HODL posture, which puts it 11th in the world, shows that it has a diverse playbook, but a 37% drop in profits and a $440.62 drop in TSLA (according to the finance card above) show that it has some core problems. Bitcoin’s rise makes people hopeful, but there are still concerns of instability. However, Tesla’s investment in crypto shows that digital assets are no longer on the fringes. For investors, it’s a two-part story: EVs fuel growth, while BTC adds interest. Keep an eye on the market in Q4 for big changes.
