UK’s Largest Bitcoin Treasury Smarter Web Eyes ‘Struggling’ Competitor Acquisitions for Discount Prices

Smarter Web Company is exploring acquisitions of distressed competitors to acquire their Bitcoin holdings at discount prices.

According to a Financial Times report, the UK’s largest corporate Bitcoin holder with over £200 million in crypto reserves made the revelation despite its shares plummeting 73% from their mid-June peak.

Founder Andrew Webley told the publication that “there’s one that’s very attractive, there’s one that I’ve got my sights on at the moment,“ though he declined to name the acquisition target.

The Bristol-based firm would “certainly consider” snapping up other companies for their Bitcoin at a discount, Webley explained, as some crypto treasury companies now trade below the value of their Bitcoin holdings.

Pleased to see The Smarter Web Company (#SWC $TSWCF $3M8.F) covered in the @ft today

UK’s biggest bitcoin buyer eyes struggling rivals and FTSE 100 berthhttps://t.co/XPYg7ARjRl

— Andrew Webley (@asjwebley) September 12, 2025

Strategic Accumulation Amid Market Turbulence

Smarter Web has undergone a dramatic transformation from its origins as a website design business, pivoting heavily toward Bitcoin accumulation throughout 2025 under what the company calls “The 10 Year Plan.”

The firm currently holds 2,470 Bitcoin worth approximately £200 million, having crossed the 2,000 BTC milestone in July after purchasing 225 additional coins for £19.9 million.

This aggressive strategy has generated what the company describes as a 49,198% year-to-date Bitcoin yield, positioning Smarter Web among the top 25 global corporate Bitcoin holders despite maintaining just £500,000 in remaining treasury cash.

The company’s accumulation efforts have been financed through innovative debt structures, including the UK’s first Bitcoin-denominated convertible bond worth $21 million issued to Paris-based TOBAM in August.

Unlike traditional convertible bonds, this structure denominates the principal repayment amount in Bitcoin while keeping the conversion share price fixed at £2.05, representing a 5% premium to the stock’s closing price at the time.

Webley acknowledged the dramatic valuation swings, telling the publication that “we probably got overvalued and now we’re almost certainly undervalued,” while expressing concern for shareholders who have experienced the volatility.

Despite the share price correction, the company briefly achieved a £1 billion market capitalization over the summer and has gained approximately 150% year-to-date, outperforming all but one company in the FTSE 350.

The firm appointed Albert Soleiman, former CFO of trading group CMC Markets, as chief financial officer last week as it pursues institutional investor interest and FTSE 100 ambitions.

UK Treasury Company Wave Meets Market Skepticism

Smarter Web’s acquisition strategy emerges within a broader wave of UK-listed companies adopting Bitcoin treasury models, with at least nine firms announcing similar strategy in recent months.

These companies have followed the playbook pioneered by Saylor’s MicroStrategy, which has accumulated over 638,460 BTC and achieved a market capitalization exceeding $90 billion since first purchasing the cryptocurrency in 2020.

The UK movement includes firms ranging from AI services provider Tao Alpha, which disclosed plans to raise £100 million for Bitcoin purchases, to natural resources company Panther Metals, whose shares surged 81% after buying a single Bitcoin.

However, market analysts have raised concerns about the sustainability and strategic clarity of the crypto treasury trend as hundreds of companies worldwide race to accumulate digital assets.

Eric Benoist, tech and data research specialist at Natixis CIB, warned that “the story is starting to become less attractive to mainstream investors,” noting that “there’s still no clear end game to this strategy.”

The broader corporate Bitcoin treasury movement has seen over 325 entities accumulate 3.71 million Bitcoin collectively, as per BitcoinTreasuries data, even though some industry observers question whether the market has reached saturation.

Galaxy Digital’s Michael Novogratz had previously suggested that the market may have reached “peak treasury company issuance,” while VanEck’s Matthew Sigel warned that companies issuing shares near their Bitcoin net asset value risk creating “erosion” rather than capital formation.

If executed well, Smarter Web’s acquisition strategy could bring a new paradigm in the space, potentially allowing successful treasury companies to consolidate Bitcoin holdings from struggling competitors at favorable valuations.

The approach mirrors historical debt-financed asset acquisition strategies, where savvy investors have borrowed in depreciating currencies to purchase scarce assets during market downturns.