Key Takeaways
- SpaceX transferred $153 million in bitcoin after three years of inactivity.
- The move comes as the Pentagon opens satellite contracts to more providers amid political tensions.
- SpaceX is estimated to hold nearly 7,000 BTC, ranking among the top corporate holders.
SpaceX has consolidated 1,308 bitcoin—valued at approximately $153 million—into a single address, marking its first onchain bitcoin activity in three years.
The transfer, flagged by Arkham Intelligence, moved funds from 16 Pay-to-Public-Key-Hash (P2PKH) addresses to one SegWit-compatible address (P2WPKH), potentially streamlining management and reducing future spending costs.
Strategic fund movement
The purpose behind the transfer remains unconfirmed, but the nature of the move suggests it was a deliberate, strategic decision rather than a reactionary one.
SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, originally disclosed its bitcoin holdings in July 2021 as part of a broader diversification strategy.
As of July 2025, SpaceX is estimated to hold about 6,977 BTC, quietly placing it among the largest corporate holders of bitcoin.
contract uncertainty and political pressure
The timing of the transfer coincides with increased political tension.
In June 2025, the Trump administration reportedly considered reviewing or canceling $22 billion in SpaceX contracts following public disputes between Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
While most contracts were deemed “too critical to US interests to eliminate,” the White House’s review heightened scrutiny of SpaceX’s government ties.
On July 22, the Pentagon further diversified its Golden Dome missile defense system contracts, opening bids to providers beyond SpaceX to avoid over-reliance on a single company.
musk, payments, and stablecoin rails
Elon Musk’s involvement with bitcoin and digital assets has been complex.
Tesla’s high-profile $1.5 billion bitcoin acquisition and short-lived acceptance of bitcoin for payments in 2021 drew widespread attention.
After acquiring Twitter (now X), Musk began developing a broader financial platform, including money transmitter licenses and backend code hinting at a native wallet, though no bitcoin payment features have been launched publicly.
Venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya recently noted that SpaceX uses stablecoins to collect Starlink payments in emerging markets, preferring digital rails over traditional wire transfers.
Neither SpaceX nor Musk has commented publicly on the recent bitcoin transfer.
