Tesla’s (NASDAQ: TSLA) $1.5 billion purchase of Bitcoin, a move announced yesterday in a 10-K document filed with the SEC, was the most popular news surrounding the electric automaker on Monday. While some TSLA investors saw it as their time to get out of being shareholders, others look at it as an advantage in several ways. One person looking at the move from a bullish perspective is ARK Invest’s Tasha Keeney, who believes Tesla’s Bitcoin purchase has heavy advantages as the company moves toward a broader consumer base, especially in international markets.
Tesla’s BTC Purchase
In a 10-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Tesla announced it had purchased $1.5 billion in Bitcoin, a cryptocurrency that has massive value, trading at over $46,600 at the time of writing. Tesla added that it “may acquire and hold digital assets from time to time or long-term,” and that it anticipates the purchase of its cars and other products by using the cryptocurrency in the near future.
The move follows CEO Elon Musk’s vocal support of both Bitcoin and Dogecoin, two cryptocurrencies that have maintained huge upside potential over the past several months. Among the ever-growing list of digital currencies, Bitcoin and Dogecoin are among the most popular in 2021, mainly because of ongoing celebrity support.
In the past several years, Bitcoin has become widely popular, especially after a meteoric rise in value in 2017 and 2018 that made it a household name. Early investors used Bitcoin to purchase goods from the internet in an untraceable manner. Now, more retail companies are working on accepting the crypto as a form of payment for everything from a pizza to a Rolex watch.
“It is a very serious move from [Tesla] – Keeney
Tasha Keeney, an analyst for Ark Invest, stated that Tesla’s move to purchase Bitcoin is one that aligns with the company’s recent Big Ideas Report. One of the most significant advantages to purchasing Bitcoin for Tesla is the versatility of the cryptocurrency, especially when doing business internationally. “Using Bitcoin as corporate cash, especially if you’re doing business in many different countries with many different foreign currencies…instead of dealing with the complication and the treasury risk, you can instead do this with Bitcoin,” Keeney said. “We think it makes sense from a corporate cash standpoint, and actually, we’ve done some analysts to say that if 1% of all the cash from the companies in the S&P 500 were to be converted into Bitcoin for corporate treasury purposes, this could actually increase the price by a meaningful amount, by about $40,000.”
-->Additionally, when operational in other countries, Tesla’s planned ride-hailing Robotaxi service could avoid hurdles and complications in payment by using a universal currency instead of multiple different foreign currencies. Keeney says the payment function could be void of conversion issues if customers used a single form of payment instead of dealing with various currencies in each region.
Tesla bull ARK Invest estimates autonomous ride-hailing to generate over $1T in revenue by 2030
A Publicity Move? ARK doesn’t think so
Bitcoin is no longer a risky or unusual form of payment. Many large companies accept the crypto as a form of currency, and Tesla just plans to be the latest one to accept it. “[Their move] is validated by other firms doing the same thing,” Keeney added during an interview with CNBC.
With Tesla focused on a widespread and quickly accelerating rollout of its products in foreign countries, Bitcoin’s international usage seems to be an advantage that the automaker can use. From a treasury perspective, it doesn’t make sense to deal with so many different foreign currencies, and Bitcoin’s universal acceptance across the world gives Tesla versatility as it expands. With plans to enter the highly elusive Indian market shortly, and expansions in Singapore, Israel, among several other countries, Tesla is technically making a move that supports its goal: accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.
Tesla’s somewhat early adoption of Bitcoin as a payment method and as an internal investment also holds other benefits, Keeney says. With Tesla joining the Bitcoin movement, it, along with other companies, could experience a tailwind in growth from its influence. Other companies are bound to either invest or accept Bitcoin as a currency later on. The entities that got in before it was widely-accepted could benefit from a surge in valuation after it continues to be looked at as a payment method.
-->“Being one of the first companies to invest in Bitcoin, to transact in Bitcoin, actually gives them sort of an advantage to really lay that infrastructure as it becomes increasingly important. And again, as other firms might do it, because we feel there will be the need for the infrastructure to be set up. So, [Tesla] will be one of the first players to figure this out,” Keeney stated.
Check out Keeney’s interview with CNBC below.
Disclosure: Joey Klender is a TSLA shareholder. He does not hold any BTC and has no intentions to open any positions within 72 hours.
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Investor's Corner
Mizuho keeps Tesla (TSLA) “Outperform” rating but lowers price target
As per the Mizuho analyst, upcoming changes to EV incentives in the U.S. and China could affect Tesla’s unit growth more than previously expected.
Mizuho analyst Vijay Rakesh lowered Tesla’s (NASDAQ:TSLA) price target to $475 from $485, citing potential 2026 EV subsidy cuts in the U.S. and China that could pressure deliveries. The firm maintained its Outperform rating for the electric vehicle maker, however.
As per the Mizuho analyst, upcoming changes to EV incentives in the U.S. and China could affect Tesla’s unit growth more than previously expected. The U.S. accounted for roughly 37% of Tesla’s third-quarter 2025 sales, while China represented about 34%, making both markets highly sensitive to policy shifts. Potential 50% cuts to Chinese subsidies and reduced U.S. incentives affected the firm’s outlook.
With those pressures factored in, the firm now expects Tesla to deliver 1.75 million vehicles in 2026 and 2 million in 2027, slightly below consensus estimates of 1.82 million and 2.15 million, respectively. The analyst was cautiously optimistic, as near-term pressure from subsidies is there, but the company’s long-term tech roadmap remains very compelling.
Despite the revised target, Mizuho remained optimistic on Tesla’s long-term technology roadmap. The firm highlighted three major growth drivers into 2027: the broader adoption of Full Self-Driving V14, the expansion of Tesla’s Robotaxi service, and the commercialization of Optimus, the company’s humanoid robot.
“We are lowering TSLA Ests/PT to $475 with Potential BEV headwinds in 2026E. We believe into 2026E, US (~37% of TSLA 3Q25 sales) EV subsidy cuts and China (34% of TSLA 3Q25 sales) potential 50% EV subsidy cuts could be a headwind to EV deliveries.
-->“We are now estimating TSLA deliveries for 2026/27E at 1.75M/2.00M (slightly below cons. 1.82M/2.15M). We see some LT drivers with FSD v14 adoption for autonomous, robotaxi launches, and humanoid robots into 2027 driving strength,” the analyst noted.
Tesla stock (NASDAQ: TSLA) has landed an elusive “must own” status from Wall Street firm Melius, according to a new note released early this week.
Analyst Rob Wertheimer said Tesla will lead the charge in world-changing tech, given the company’s focus on self-driving, autonomy, and Robotaxi. In a note to investors, Wertheimer said “the world is about to change, dramatically,” because of the advent of self-driving cars.
He looks at the industry and sees many potential players, but the firm says there will only be one true winner:
“Our point is not that Tesla is at risk, it’s that everybody else is.”
The major argument is that autonomy is nearing a tipping point where years of chipping away at the software and data needed to develop a sound, safe, and effective form of autonomous driving technology turn into an avalanche of progress.
Wertheimer believes autonomy is a $7 trillion sector,” and in the coming years, investors will see “hundreds of billions in value shift to Tesla.”
A lot of the major growth has to do with the all-too-common “butts in seats” strategy, as Wertheimer believes that only a fraction of people in the United States have ridden in a self-driving car. In Tesla’s regard, only “tens of thousands” have tried Tesla’s latest Full Self-Driving (Supervised) version, which is v14.
Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.2 – Full Review, the Good and the Bad
When it reaches a widespread rollout and more people are able to experience Tesla Full Self-Driving v14, he believes “it will shock most people.”
Citing things like Tesla’s massive data pool from its vehicles, as well as its shift to end-to-end neural nets in 2021 and 2022, as well as the upcoming AI5 chip, which will be put into a handful of vehicles next year, but will reach a wider rollout in 2027, Melius believes many investors are not aware of the pace of advancement in self-driving.
Tesla’s lead in its self-driving efforts is expanding, Wertheimer says. The company is making strategic choices on everything from hardware to software, manufacturing, and overall vehicle design. He says Tesla has left legacy automakers struggling to keep pace as they still rely on outdated architectures and fragmented supplier systems.
Tesla shares are up over 6 percent at 10:40 a.m. on the East Coast, trading at around $416.
Investor's Corner
Tesla analyst maintains $500 PT, says FSD drives better than humans now
The team also met with Tesla leaders for more than an hour to discuss autonomy, chip development, and upcoming deployment plans.
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) received fresh support from Piper Sandler this week after analysts toured the Fremont Factory and tested the company’s latest Full Self-Driving software. The firm reaffirmed its $500 price target, stating that FSD V14 delivered a notably smooth robotaxi demonstration and may already perform at levels comparable to, if not better than, average human drivers.
The team also met with Tesla leaders for more than an hour to discuss autonomy, chip development, and upcoming deployment plans.
Analysts highlight autonomy progress
During more than 75 minutes of focused discussions, analysts reportedly focused on FSD v14’s updates. Piper Sandler’s team pointed to meaningful strides in perception, object handling, and overall ride smoothness during the robotaxi demo.
The visit also included discussions on updates to Tesla’s in-house chip initiatives, its Optimus program, and the growth of the company’s battery storage business. Analysts noted that Tesla continues refining cost structures and capital expenditure expectations, which are key elements in future margin recovery, as noted in a Yahoo Finance report.
Analyst Alexander Potter noted that “we think FSD is a truly impressive product that is (probably) already better at driving than the average American.” This conclusion was strengthened by what he described as a “flawless robotaxi ride to the hotel.”
-->Street targets diverge on TSLA
While Piper Sandler stands by its $500 target, it is not the highest estimate on the Street. Wedbush, for one, has a $600 per share price target for TSLA stock.
Other institutions have also weighed in on TSLA stock as of late. HSBC reiterated a Reduce rating with a $131 target, citing a gap between earnings fundamentals and the company’s market value. By contrast, TD Cowen maintained a Buy rating and a $509 target, pointing to strong autonomous driving demonstrations in Austin and the pace of software-driven improvements.
Stifel analysts also lifted their price target for Tesla to $508 per share over the company’s ongoing robotaxi and FSD programs.
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