Tesla has acquired around $1.5 billion in Bitcoin under an investment policy at the electric car maker headed by Elon Musk, and it plans to begin accepting the digital currency as payment for vehicles soon.
The California company revealed the new strategy in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission early Monday, saying its investment in digital currency and other “alternative reserve assets” may grow.
Bitcoin spiked 14% and appeared to briefly hit a new all-time high. Shares of Tesla moved higher as well.
In its fourth quarter earnings report last month Tesla said it had cash and cash equivalents of $19.4 billion.
Stocks dipped Friday morning after the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury crossed 5% for the first time in 16 years and also following Fed Chair Jerome Powell's remarks on Thursday.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Thursday that inflation remains too high and that bringing it down to the Fed's target level will likely require a slower-growing economy and job market.
