Welcome to the US Crypto News Morning Briefing—your essential rundown of the most important developments in crypto for the day ahead.
Grab a coffee as Ethereum, crypto capital, and one of the world’s biggest creators collide in a deal that has everyone talking.
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Crypto News of the Day: Tom Lee’s BitMine Backs MrBeast
YouTube star Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, may have claimed he has “negative money,” but his company, Beast Industries, just received a massive boost.
In a Thursday announcement, BitMine Immersion Technologies revealed a $200 million equity investment.
The deal was announced during BitMine’s Annual Stockholder Meeting at the Wynn Las Vegas. The firm has positioned itself as a global leader in Ethereum liquidity, with a goal to acquire 5% of ETH. Data on StrategicETHreserve.xyz shows BitMine already holds 3.36% of ETH supply.
While the investment is made in USD-equivalent equity, BitMine’s Ethereum treasury serves as the capital source, making the deal crypto-relevant.
It is increasingly deploying capital into high-profile ventures outside traditional blockchain projects.
Lee acknowledged Beast Industries as the largest and most innovative creator-based platform in the world, noting that their corporate and personal values are strongly aligned.”
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Beast Industries, valued at $5 billion, operates across multiple verticals. However, despite this valuation, Donaldson has previously admitted that his personal liquidity is extremely limited.
BitMine and DeFi Integration: A New Era for Creator Finance
The $200 million investment is more than a celebrity headline. It reflects a broader trend of Ethereum liquidity flowing into the creator economy.
CEO Jeff Housenbold highlighted that the deal validates Beast Industries’ growth trajectory and opens opportunities for future innovation, particularly in DeFi.
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The deal is expected to close on or about January 19, 2026, giving Beast Industries additional runway.
The announcement offers a glimpse of a potential tokenized creator economy, where Ethereum-backed capital supports fractionalized fan ownership models.
With BitMine’s involvement, the deal could serve as a blueprint for bridging Web2 content empires and DeFi-enabled finance. This demonstrates how Ethereum liquidity is extending far beyond traditional blockchain projects.
Meanwhile, Beast Industries has previously discussed the possibility of an IPO, aiming to give fans a chance to become owners.
Chart of the Day
Bitmine ETH Holdings. Source: strategicethreserve.xyzSponsored
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Byte-Sized Alpha
Here’s a summary of more US crypto news to follow today:
Crypto Equities Pre-Market Overview
| Company | Close As of January 14 | Pre-Market Overview |
| Strategy (MSTR) | $179.33 | $178.70 (-0.35%) |
| Coinbase (COIN) | $255.86 | $252.00 (-1.51%) |
| Galaxy Digital Holdings (GLXY) | $28.19 | $28.07 (-0.43%) |
| MARA Holdings (MARA) | $11.11 | $11.05 (-0.54%) |
| Riot Platforms (RIOT) | $17.31 | $17.26 (-0.29%) |
| Core Scientific (CORZ) | $17.92 | $18.10 (+1.00%) |
Source: https://beincrypto.com/tom-lee-bitmine-200m-mrbeast-deal-us-crypto-news/
