A shareholder proposal calling on Meta Platforms to explore adding Bitcoin to its corporate treasury was submitted by Ethan Peck, an associate at the National Center for Public Policy Research.
The proposal, submitted on behalf of Peck’s family shares, aims to encourage Meta to re-evaluate its asset allocation strategy and consider Bitcoin as a potential inflation-proof asset.
The proposal highlights Meta’s significant cash reserves and potential vulnerability to inflation. As of September 30, 2024, Meta had total assets of $256 billion, of which $72 billion was divided into cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities. The proposal argues that these assets have diminished in value due to inflation and low bond yields, and have the potential to erode shareholder value over time.
To counter this, Peck suggests Meta consider reallocating some of its cash and bonds to Bitcoin, citing the cryptocurrency’s fixed supply and historical performance as a hedge against inflation.
Key data points highlighted in the proposal include:
- Bitcoin’s price has significantly outperformed bonds, rising 124% in the past year and 1,265% in the past five years.
- BlackRock, Meta’s second-largest institutional shareholder, has deemed a 2% Bitcoin allocation for portfolios reasonable, providing a potential framework for Meta to follow.
- Companies like MicroStrategy have adopted Bitcoin into their treasuries and have seen their shares outperform Meta’s by 2,191% over the past five years.
The proposal cites Meta’s culture of innovation, highlighting the company’s history of pioneering technological trends. It also highlights the Bitcoin-related connections within Meta’s leadership:
- CEO Mark Zuckerberg named his goats “Bitcoin” and “Max.”
- Marc Andreessen, a board member who praised Bitcoin, is also an executive at Coinbase.
Peck argues that Meta’s leadership needs to align its corporate treasury strategy with the forward-thinking approaches they likely use in their personal financial decisions.
The resolution calls on the Meta Board of Directors to conduct a formal assessment to assess whether adding Bitcoin to the company’s treasury would be in the best interests of shareholders.
Meta has yet to publicly respond to the proposal.
*This is not investment advice.
