Tech
tech
Hyunsoo Rim
1/30/25

Bitcoin gains made up 25% of Tesla’s Q4 net profit, and regulatory credits were likely another ~30%

The recent bitcoin rally gave a major boost to Tesla’s income statement — though it wasn’t enough to offset the carmaker’s drop in overall profits. Yesterday, Tesla reported a sharp decline in earnings, with net income down 71% in Q4 due to a drop in average sales prices and increased spending on AI.

Yet the company’s bottom line received a ~$600 million lift thanks to a new digital asset accounting rule, the CFO noted in the earnings call. The new rule by the Financial Accounting Standards Board allows companies to report digital assets at fair market value each quarter starting in January.

With bitcoin on a tear after the November election, the company’s cash flow statement recorded a $589 million noncash gain, meaning bitcoin accounted for a quarter (25%) of the company’s $2.332 billion profit for Q4. The company also reported that it made $692 million in revenue from automotive regulatory credits — which are highly likely to be pure profit for Tesla.

That would mean that more than half of Tesla’s Q4 net profit was from bitcoin gains, or regulatory credits.

According to company filings, Tesla held 11,509 bitcoins as of December 31, 2024, valued at $1.076 billion. The Texas-based EV maker is now the fifth-largest publicly traded bitcoin holder, trailing behind MicroStrategy — which is on a 10-week bitcoin buying streak — MARA, Riot, and Galaxy Digital, per multiple bitcoin-tracking sources.

Go Deeper: Elon Musk wants you to focus on everything but Tesla’s struggling electric car business

Yet the company’s bottom line received a ~$600 million lift thanks to a new digital asset accounting rule, the CFO noted in the earnings call. The new rule by the Financial Accounting Standards Board allows companies to report digital assets at fair market value each quarter starting in January.

With bitcoin on a tear after the November election, the company’s cash flow statement recorded a $589 million noncash gain, meaning bitcoin accounted for a quarter (25%) of the company’s $2.332 billion profit for Q4. The company also reported that it made $692 million in revenue from automotive regulatory credits — which are highly likely to be pure profit for Tesla.

That would mean that more than half of Tesla’s Q4 net profit was from bitcoin gains, or regulatory credits.

According to company filings, Tesla held 11,509 bitcoins as of December 31, 2024, valued at $1.076 billion. The Texas-based EV maker is now the fifth-largest publicly traded bitcoin holder, trailing behind MicroStrategy — which is on a 10-week bitcoin buying streak — MARA, Riot, and Galaxy Digital, per multiple bitcoin-tracking sources.

Go Deeper: Elon Musk wants you to focus on everything but Tesla’s struggling electric car business

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tech
Jon Keegan
8h

Report: Microsoft adds Anthropic alongside OpenAI in Office 365, citing better performance

In a move that could test its fraught $13 billion partnership, Microsoft is moving away from relying solely on OpenAI to power its AI features in Office 365 and will now also include Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet 4 model, according to a report from The Information.

The move is a tectonic shift that boosts Anthropic’s standing, heightens risks for OpenAI, and has huge ramifications for the balance of power in the fast-moving AI field.

Per the report, Microsoft executives found that Anthropic’s AI outperformed OpenAI’s on tasks involving spreadsheets and generating PowerPoint slide decks, both crucial parts of Microsoft’s Office 365 productivity suite.

Microsoft will have to pay the competition to provide the services —Amazon Web Services currently hosts Anthropic’s models while Microsoft’s Azure cloud service does not, The Information reported.

OpenAI is also reportedly working on its own productivity suite of apps.

Microsoft to Buy AI From Anthropic in Partial Shift From OpenAI

Microsoft to Buy AI From Anthropic in Partial Shift From OpenAI

The move is a tectonic shift that boosts Anthropic’s standing, heightens risks for OpenAI, and has huge ramifications for the balance of power in the fast-moving AI field.

Per the report, Microsoft executives found that Anthropic’s AI outperformed OpenAI’s on tasks involving spreadsheets and generating PowerPoint slide decks, both crucial parts of Microsoft’s Office 365 productivity suite.

Microsoft will have to pay the competition to provide the services —Amazon Web Services currently hosts Anthropic’s models while Microsoft’s Azure cloud service does not, The Information reported.

OpenAI is also reportedly working on its own productivity suite of apps.

tech
Jon Keegan
11h

Apple announces extra slim iPhone Air, iPhone Pro with longer battery life, updated AirPods Pro 3 with live language translation, and refreshed Apple Watch line

At today’s “Awe Dropping” Apple event, the company announced its yearly refresh of the iPhone lineup. The new iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max were joined by a brand-new addition: the iPhone Air, a superthin model with tougher glass and faster processors.

Apple shares dipped on news of the product releases and are down about 1.4% on the day in afternoon trading.

The company also announced an updated Apple Watch line — Series 11, SE3, and Ultra 3 — with new features like 5G, high blood pressure detection, 24-hour battery life, and satellite communication. 

Apple iPhone 17
Apple’s iPhone 17 (Photo: Apple)

Here’s a breakdown of the new products Apple announced:

  • The ultrathin iPhone Air was described by Apple as “a paradox you have to hold to believe.” The sleek 5.6-millimeter-thin iPhone features a crack- and scratch-resistant front and back and “Macbook Pro levels of compute,” which you can pair with a weird $59 cross-body strap. It starts at $999.

  • The iPhone 17 has a faster A19 chip, an improved smart selfie camera, and a higher-resolution screen. It starts at $799.

  • The iPhone 17 Pro has a new design, ever-faster A19 Pro chip, a tougher “ceramic shield” on the front and back, better cameras, and a bigger battery that gets an extra 10 hours of video playback compared to its predecessor. It costs $100 more than the previous generation, but the minimum storage has doubled to 256 gigabytes. It starts at $1,099.

  • The iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at $1,199.

  • The AirPods Pro 3 have AI-powered live translation, a new heart rate sensor, eight hours of battery life, and improved active noise cancellation. The new AirPods can also track workouts, and Apple says they are built to fit more people’s ears with a new design and foam ear tips. They start at $249.

  • The Apple Watch Series 11 has 5G, a new high blood pressure detection feature, improved sleep tracking, a more scratch-resistant face, and 24 hours of battery life.

  • The entry-level Apple Watch SE 3 gets 5G, new health-tracking features, and an always-on display. It starts at $249.

  • The chunky Apple Watch Ultra 3 has an impressive 42-hour battery life, satellite communications for emergencies, and a brighter and bigger display. It starts at $799.

Rani Molla
13h
Tesla could sell a record number of vehicles in the US this quarter

That won’t be enough to keep full-year global sales from falling.

Guy waving an American flag in a tiny Tesla Cybertruck
tech
Claire Yubin Oh & Jon Keegan
19h

Nebius soars after signing a 5-year deal with Microsoft to supply nearly $20 billion worth of AI computing power

Artificial intelligence infrastructure group Nebius jumped more than 50% in early trading on Tuesday after the company announced after the close on Monday a major deal to supply computing power for Microsoft’s AI operations.

Under the agreement, Nebius — which rose from the ashes of Russian tech giant Yandex — will provide Microsoft “access to dedicated GPU infrastructure capacity in tranches at its new data center in Vineland, New Jersey over a five-year term.” The New Jersey data center has a capacity of 300 megawatts. The total contract value through 2031 is $17.4 billion, though, if further capacity is required, the contract value could rise to $19.4 billion.

The deal represents a sizable portion of Microsoft’s proposed annual capital expenditure on AI, which is expected to reach $120 billion by the end of fiscal 2026.

Nebius and competitor CoreWeave are both on the short list of startups that Nvidia has invested in. Nvidia’s small stake in the former is now worth about $120 million.

Nebius announces multi-billion dollar agreement with Microsoft for AI infrastructure

Nebius announces multi-billion dollar agreement with Microsoft for AI infrastructure

Under the agreement, Nebius — which rose from the ashes of Russian tech giant Yandex — will provide Microsoft “access to dedicated GPU infrastructure capacity in tranches at its new data center in Vineland, New Jersey over a five-year term.” The New Jersey data center has a capacity of 300 megawatts. The total contract value through 2031 is $17.4 billion, though, if further capacity is required, the contract value could rise to $19.4 billion.

The deal represents a sizable portion of Microsoft’s proposed annual capital expenditure on AI, which is expected to reach $120 billion by the end of fiscal 2026.

Nebius and competitor CoreWeave are both on the short list of startups that Nvidia has invested in. Nvidia’s small stake in the former is now worth about $120 million.

President Trump hosts tech executives and their guests to a dinner at the White House in the Oval Office.

Here are the Trump ties among the tech leaders who had dinner at the White House

Many of the attendees have donated to, vocally supported, or even worked for the president.

Jon Keegan9/8/25

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