As the crypto treasury cools down, Bitmine throws $200 million to the top YouTube influencer

As the crypto treasury bubble rapidly deflates, Bitmine is taking a counterattack. Managed by investor Tom Lee, this is the world’s largest Ethereum holding institution, which recently announced a $200 million investment in Beast Industries, the business entity of the MrBeast empire.

This investment implicitly signals that traditional crypto capital is seeking new breakthroughs.

The Strategic Logic Behind the $200 Million Investment

On January 15, Bitmine Immersion officially announced this significant financing, with the deal expected to close on January 19. Beast Industries is the commercial empire of “YouTube’s top influencer” MrBeast, whose YouTube channel has over 460 million subscribers, making it a top player in the global creator economy.

According to the latest valuation by Forbes, Beast Industries is currently valued at $5 billion. Behind this massive figure is a comprehensive business entity covering multiple lines of business, including YouTube content, Feastables chocolates, Lunchly snacks, and more.

Bitmine revealed that both parties will explore potential collaborations in the decentralized finance (DeFi) sector, though specific product timelines and scope have not yet been disclosed. Tom Lee stated in a press release that Beast Industries, as one of the most innovative creator platforms globally, shares highly aligned corporate values with Bitmine.

A “Negative Cash Flow” Billionaire

Interestingly, MrBeast himself, Jimmy Donaldson, has openly admitted that he is actually in a “negative cash flow” state. Although his net worth is reportedly around $2.6 billion, he candidly said that the liquidity of those shares is limited—“You can’t buy McDonald’s with those shares in the morning.”

According to Forbes, Donaldson’s annual income in 2025 is projected to reach $85 million, but most of this substantial income is reinvested into video production, content operations, and other business ecosystems. He even borrowed money from his mother to pay for his wedding expenses, a detail that vividly illustrates the huge gap between cash flow and book wealth in the creator economy.

Why Crypto Capital Is Interested in the Creator Economy

Bitmine’s move is driven by its own market pressures. Since the crypto market downturn began in October last year, the core strategy of Ethereum treasury—accumulating Ether as a balance sheet asset—has suffered heavy setbacks, with the company’s stock price under continuous pressure.

In this context, investing in the creator economy has become an inevitable choice for diversification. Last October, Beast Industries filed for the “MrBeast Financial” trademark, involving services such as crypto trading platforms and consumer lending, which aligns perfectly with Bitmine’s investment direction.

This investment is seen by the market as a landmark event for the integration of crypto-native capital with the creator economy. Crypto companies are rushing to dominate those super IPs that can capture the attention of the younger generation, seeking new growth points through blockchain technology and its practical applications at the consumer level.