Why Every Company Will Hold Bitcoin | Freddie New
9/17/2025 · 69 min · transcript via mlx
Tags
Key topics
— B Hodl launches as a Bitcoin-first treasury company backed by Coin Corner, with an experienced team including Danny Knowles (Chief Bitcoin Officer), David Jacks (PayPal's first CFO as chair), and Alan Farrington (Bailey Gifford director).
— The company's core business model generates revenue by operating a top-100 Lightning node, charging routing fees of approximately 2–2.5%, while acquiring and deploying Bitcoin aggressively.
— B Hodl is raising capital through equity (no leverage initially) and plans to retain four years of operating expenses in working capital to avoid forced selling in bear markets.
— Treasury companies face collapse risk during downturns if burdened by debt; B Hodl avoids this through conservative financial structuring and team experience weathering multiple bear markets.
— Freddie New remains active in UK Bitcoin policy work, targeting regulators and Parliament to improve legislation and differentiate Bitcoin from broader crypto regulation.
— Eventually all companies will hold Bitcoin on balance sheets; B Hodl positions itself as Bitcoin infrastructure provider, not just a holdings play, differentiating from zombie companies seeking a lifeline.
Market & price signals
— Bitcoin's total market cap approximately $2 trillion; Bitcoin's cargo (compound annual growth rate) estimated at 37–40%. Strategy trades below 2x mNAV; MetaPlanet trades at approximately 3.5x mNAV. SmarterWeb reached ~$1 billion market cap on Aquis Exchange but has since declined sharply, with broader market headwinds affecting Bitcoin treasury stocks (MicroStrategy also underperforming). Future mNAV multiples will likely depend on company-specific operating cash flows and Bitcoin appreciation rates.
Actionable insights
— B Hodl's differentiation lies in being a day-one Bitcoin business with infrastructure revenue (Lightning node operation), not a struggling company pivoting to Bitcoin; verify the team's bear-market experience and absence of debt before committing capital.
— Four-year working capital runway eliminates forced-selling risk; scrutinize whether other treasury companies hold sufficient cash reserves to survive a 50–80% Bitcoin price decline without triggering debt refinancing issues.
— Regulatory clarity in the UK remains fragmented; Bitcoin infrastructure plays with direct policy access (Freddie's parliamentary connections) may benefit from future legislative changes that distinguish Bitcoin from broader crypto, improving long-term valuations and adoption.
Episode sponsorships
Paid placements mentioned in this episode. BTC Pods is not sponsored by or affiliated with these advertisers. Links are included so you can find offers mentioned on the show.
— River, the best place for Bitcoiners and businesses to buy Bitcoin, lets you set up zero-fee recurring buys, earn daily interest on your cash balance paid in Bitcoin (outperforming most high-yield savings accounts), and rest assured knowing River holds all Bitcoin in multi-sig cold storage with monthly proof of reserves. To open an account go to river.com/wbd and earn up to $100 in Bitcoin when you buy.
— BitKey is a multi-sig hardware wallet built by Square and CashApp with cryptographic recovery and inheritance features—no seed phrase. Get 20% off at bitkey.world with code WBD.
— AnchorWatch provides A-rated Lloyd's of London insurance for self-custodied Bitcoin held in time-locked multi-sig vaults, protecting against inheritance loss, theft, or mistakes. Rates start at 0.55%. Learn more at anchorwatch.com.
— Ledn provides full-custody Bitcoin-backed loans with no credit checks or monthly repayments, letting you access cash without selling Bitcoin. Visit ledn.io/wbd for 0.25% off your first loan.
— BlockWare Solutions offers Bitcoin mining as a service with 100% bonus depreciation under US tax code section 168K. Every dollar spent on miners can offset your ordinary income in a single year. Visit mining.blockwaresolutions.com/wbd and use code WBD for $100 off your first miner.
— IREN, the largest NASDAQ-listed Bitcoin miner, powers the Bitcoin network using 100% renewable energy and provides cutting-edge AI compute resources. Visit iren.com to learn more.