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Tesla’s Bitcoin investment has been a rollercoaster ride of gains and losses
One of the ultimate joyrides as a human is riding a rollercoaster. The anticipation of sitting in the train, waiting for dispatch as you slowly climb up the first gigantic hill, all for the anticipation to break. Suddenly, you’re falling down a 200+ foot drop, awaiting the next rise, which will unequivocally result in another slight drop. A short time later, you’re right back to where you started, in a pavilion, waiting to get off of the ride.
Tesla’s Bitcoin investment has been a comparable scenario described above: a meteoric climb, succeeded by a sharp drop, followed by tiny peaks and valleys. Ultimately, Tesla is right back to where it started.
In the company’s 10-Q filing with the SEC earlier today, the electric car company based out of Northern California detailed its tumultuous experience with Bitcoin, the cryptocurrency that could likely be attributed to most of the ranting and raving regarding digital assets. It allowed anyone who can access the document a peek into what kind of swings Tesla has been experiencing through its investment into Bitcoin, which was detailed in the 10-K filing after Q4 2020 results.
Climbing up the first hill
Tesla’s $1.5 billion investment started in the gate and quickly took off up the first hill of gains like a launch rollercoaster. The first hill lasted quite some time, as Bitcoin eclipsed $64,000 and put Tesla up a substantial sum. It is not known how many BTC Tesla received when it initially invested the $1.5 billion, but it is estimated that the price of the crypto was between $29,333 and $37,020. This would put Tesla’s potential holdings at between 37,020 to 51,137 BTC.
It was estimated that Tesla made close to or more than $1 billion as Bitcoin continued to rise in value through the early portion of 2021. According to an April report from Teslarati, “Even if Tesla only acquired the minimal amount of 37,020 Bitcoin in January, the company’s $1.5 billion investment would still be worth $2.3 billion today, hinting at a healthy profit of $800 million,” and that’s figure originates from the possibility of their lowest BTC investment. Tesla said it realized gains of $128 million from its digital assets in March 2021 alone.
After reaching all-time highs of over $64,829, Bitcoin started to tumble, bringing Tesla’s rollercoaster ride down its first and largest hill.
The Big Drop
The big drop occurred as Bitcoin began to slide in mid-May. From May 8th to the 22nd, Bitcoin slid from $58,788 to under $37,500. At one point, BTC even struck the $30,000 range before recovering to $38,000.
The slide was met with uncertainty, worry, and anxiety by many investors. But Musk solidified the fact that Tesla would keep its “diamond hands” and continue holding BTC, despite the volatility experienced during its epic fall.
The company wrote:
“During the three and six months ended June 30, 2021, we recorded $23 million and $50 million, respectively, of impairment losses on such digital assets.”
The Ride: Back to the Beginning
Through the tumultuous ride of the BTC rollercoaster through the first half of 2021, Tesla rode the hills, the turns, and loops and ended up right back where it started (basically). As of June 30, Tesla says the fair market value of such digital assets “was $1.47 billion.” Additionally, the company said that “as of June 30, 2021, the carrying value of our digital assets held was $1.31 billion, which reflects cumulative impairments of $50 million.”
It has been exciting, and it has been uncertain, but Tesla, like the rest of investors, is just along for the ride. Bitcoin’s volatility over the past few months may not have been expected by the diehard cryptocurrency supporters that have vocally supported it since its early days. Still, like anything else, it is an investment. Tesla is banking on a wider adoption of crypto in the coming months and years, something it has dabbled with in the past.
SpaceX’s Starlink product has just gotten its latest airline adoptee, and the move marks the successful partnership of three of the “Big Four” U.S. airlines.
American Airlines announced on Tuesday that it would utilize Starlink in more than 500 narrowbody aircraft beginning in the first quarter of 2027. These include the Airbus aircraft in its fleet, including the new A321XLR and A321neo.
With the new partnership with American Airlines, Starlink is now present on three of the largest airlines in the country: American, United, and Southwest.
Starlink gets its latest airline adoptee for stable and reliable internet access
Starlink’s VP of Enterprise Sales, Jason Fritch, said:
“We are proud to bring Starlink on board American Airlines, delivering fast and reliable internet to passengers and crew. Whether traveling for leisure or business, Starlink enables a fully connected experience gate to gate, making every flight smoother and more enjoyable.”
Additionally, American Airlines Chief Customer Officer, Heather Garboden, said:
“As a premium global airline, we are continuously seeking out world-class partners like Starlink to deliver what our customers need and want. The addition of Starlink solidifies American as a leading airline in keeping passengers connected in flight.”
Starlink has been on a tear over the past year, as it has continued to be adopted by a wide variety of airlines as a more consistent and reliable way to provide WiFi to its passengers. It has already gained a great reputation among residential users, but its biggest commercial application appears to be how it is being used in the air.
American Airlines will adopt Starlink on more than 500 of its narrowbody aircraft beginning in Q1 2027
“As a premium global airline, we are continuously seeking out world-class partners like Starlink to deliver what our customers need and want,” said American Airlines Chief… pic.twitter.com/XY2wflycc0
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) May 26, 2026
The only airline of the Big Four not to adopt Starlink thus far is Delta, which chose to opt for the alternative, which is Amazon Leo. CEO Ed Bastian said to Bloomberg that Delta chose Amazon’s product over Starlink’s because “the opportunities, in terms of the improved bandwidth with a much lower price point than what we’ve ever seen from Starlink, will make a big difference.”
Delta will not start installing Amazon Leo until 2028.
“Of course, we expect Starlink will be warning people that we’re going to go with an inferior product,” Bastian said. “But I’m not too worried about partnering with Amazon.”
Tesla Cybertruck’s newest trim level is nearing its first deliveries just a few months after being offered for an incredible deal.
Back in February, Tesla officially launched a new trim of the Cybertruck, the All-Wheel-Drive, starting at just $59,990. It was a lot of truck for the money, especially considering what it offered the Rear-Wheel-Drive variant for last year, which was a total flop.
The $59,990 price that was offered initially was a deal due to its 325-mile range rating, powered tonneau, three bed outlets, Powershare capability, coil springs with adaptive damping for a refined suspension feel, Steer-by-Wire and four-wheel steering, a 6′ x 4′ composite bed, towing capacity of 7,500 pounds, and a powered frunk.
Tesla is now nearing deliveries of this trim, according to watcher Sawyer Merritt, as Tesla has officially started assigning VINs to people who ordered the vehicle initially:
I can confirm that Tesla has officially started assigning VINs to people who initially ordered the $59,990 Cybertruck Dual-Motor AWD, which means first deliveries should start in the coming weeks!
• 325 mile range
• 7,500 lb towing capacity
• 0-60mph: 4.1s
• Bed with… pic.twitter.com/PQwVYbZf6j— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) May 24, 2026
Earlier this month, we reported on units of the trim being spotted outside Gigafactory Texas by Joe Tegtmeyer.
Tesla Giga Texas buzzing as new Cybertruck appears to enter production
This Cybertruck trim was interesting because it was released basically out of nowhere, priced incredibly well, and gathered many orders in a small amount of time. However, CEO Elon Musk noted just days afterward that the vehicle would only be priced at this bargain level for ten days.
Tesla fans were not happy.
Awful way to treat customers – particularly when they already sent out a marketing email announcing the $59,990 truck…with zero mention of it being a limited-time offer.
— Ryan McCaffrey (@DMC_Ryan) February 24, 2026
However, the issues with the pricing strategy have blown over since the February unveiling event, and now that deliveries are near, Tesla fans are anticipating the truck making its way to their driveways soon.
The truck is currently priced at $69,990, and deliveries for new orders are slated for between August and September 2026.
Tesla is shipping a new feature that silences neighborhood Supercharger complaints, prompting drivers to be aware of those who might be impacted by excessive noise nearby.
Tesla is now rolling out a new location-specific “Quiet Charging Zone” that prompts drivers to lower their vehicle’s audio volume in an effort to make things comfortable for everyone, even those who are not Tesla owners.
Another beautiful example of Tesla’s vertical integration.
Neighbors were complaining about noise and commotion at this new Supercharger in San Francisco.
So Tesla pushed a software update that asks people to turn their volume down, with a button to do it in 1 tap. Smart. pic.twitter.com/8esuliuzwr
— Whole Mars Catalog (@wholemars) May 20, 2026
This is an impactful feature that will resolve many complaints from those who are living nearby.
When a Tesla plugs into this Supercharger and its media volume exceeds a certain level, the vehicle’s central touchscreen displays a polite notification: “Could you turn the volume down? Please be mindful of our neighbors.”
Accompanying the message is a prominent “Lower” button. One tap automatically reduces the audio to a more considerate level. Physical “Quiet Charging Zone” signs posted at the station reinforce the request, creating a cohesive experience that blends digital nudges with on-site reminders.
This feature highlights Tesla’s unique advantages. Unlike traditional automakers, Tesla owns both the vehicle software and the charging infrastructure.
Engineers can detect the precise location via GPS, trigger context-aware prompts, and deploy changes fleet-wide in hours or days without recalls or dealer visits. No public release notes highlighted the change, suggesting it was a quiet, site-specific rollout designed to test effectiveness before potential expansion.
These are usually referred to as “Undocumented Changes.”
Beyond immediate noise reduction, the initiative underscores Tesla’s customer- and community-focused ethos. While EVs are inherently quieter than combustion-engine vehicles, auxiliary behaviors like loud infotainment can still create friction in dense cities. Tesla’s rapid response turns potential conflict into an opportunity to demonstrate thoughtful engineering.
As Tesla expands its Supercharger network, which is now open to other EVs in many places, features like location-based quiet modes could become standard tools for harmonious integration into neighborhoods.
SpaceX Starlink gets its latest airline adoptee, grabbing three of the ‘Big Four’
Tesla Cybertruck’s newest trim is nearing its first deliveries
