Legendary Wall Street investor Warren Buffett's anti-cryptocurrency stance doesn't need an introduction, and the "Oracle of Omaha" has consistently professed a complete lack of interest in the asset class.
Even the launch of the hugely popular spot exchange-traded funds linked to Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) and Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) couldn't sway Buffett's opinion.
However, you might be surprised to learn that his firm, Berkshire Hathaway, has made significant investments in a lesser-known cryptocurrency-friendly firm.
What happened: Nu Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NU), a Brazil-based holding company providing digital banking services, fares on the list of Berkshire Hathaway's acquisitions.
The bank launched its cryptocurrency arm, Nubank Cripto, in 2022, allowing customers to send and receive cryptocurrency assets directly from their wallets.
The platform initially started with Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Polygon (CRYPTO: MATIC), which later expanded to include coins such as Uniswap (CRYPTO: UNI) and Chainlink (CRYPTO: LINK). Users can also convert their cryptocurrencies to stablecoins like USD Coin (CRYPTO: USDC).
According to the company's latest 13F filing, Berkshire Hathaway held 86,438,997 shares of Nu Holdings, translating to a market value of $1.17 billion.
Over the last year, the stock has grown 40.23%, and more than 47% since 2024 began.
Why It Matters: While one could argue that Buffett invested in a firm whose core business wasn't tied around cryptocurrencies, the choice nonetheless provided an interesting contrast to his typically negative views on the asset.
Well, fair warning. Buffett's views might not be music to your ears if you are a cryptocurrency aficionado.
"In terms of cryptocurrencies generally, I can say almost with certainty that they will come to a bad ending," he said back in 2018.
During Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholder meeting in 2018, Buffett described Bitcoin as "probably rat poison squared."
Price Action: Nu Holdings stock closed 2.20% lower at $11.99 during Thursday's regular session, according to data from Benzinga Pro.
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