Chinese insurance broker Tian Ruixiang moves to acquire up to 15,000 BTC

China-based insurance brokerage Tian Ruixiang Holdings said it is pursuing a plan to acquire up to 15,000 bitcoin through an equity-linked transaction.

According to Cointelegraph on the 3rd (local time), Nasdaq-listed Tian Ruixiang Holdings Ltd said it had signed a strategic agreement to receive a contribution of up to 15,000 bitcoin from an anonymous global digital-asset investor. The bitcoin would be exchanged for shares in the company.

At a bitcoin price of around $75,000, the contribution would be worth about $1.1 billion. The figure is sizable even compared with Tian Ruixiang’s current valuation, prompting assessments that the deal, if completed, would inevitably bring major changes to its financial structure.

Beyond the bitcoin acquisition, the agreement also includes a strategic partnership centered on artificial intelligence and digital assets. The two sides plan to set up a joint innovation lab to develop AI-based trading and risk-management tools, blockchain infrastructure, decentralized applications, Layer 2 networks, decentralized finance, and non-fungible token-related products.

Tian Ruixiang described the counterparty only as a global digital-asset investor with experience across the cryptocurrency and broader technology markets, but did not disclose details such as the investor’s identity, the timing of the transaction, custody arrangements, or settlement method.

Markets are also watching the sharp jump in Tian Ruixiang’s shares. According to Yahoo Finance, the stock surged about 190% in early trading after the announcement, and its intraday market capitalization expanded to around $9.5 million—highlighting a wide gap versus the proposed bitcoin deal value.

If the transaction is completed and Tian Ruixiang actually secures 15,000 bitcoin, it would become the world’s eighth-largest corporate holder of bitcoin among publicly listed companies. According to BitcoinTreasuries.net, Coinbase holds 14,548 bitcoin, while bitcoin mining company Riot Platforms holds 18,005 bitcoin.

Separately, Tian Ruixiang said on Jan. 30 that it was in late-stage talks to acquire a Hong Kong-based insurance broker specializing in AI- and digital-asset-based wealth management—fueling interpretations that its pivot strategy centered on digital assets and AI is accelerating.