UK-Based Firm Murano to Invest $500M in Bitcoin

As more public companies accumulate bitcoin (BTC), firms based in the United Kingdom (UK) are not holding back. Murano Global Investments (MRNO), a UK-based real estate company, has disclosed plans to join the bandwagon.

It announced earlier today that it is expanding its strategy to include building a Bitcoin treasury, complementing its existing real estate and hospitality businesses in Mexico. The company purchased 21 BTC with proceeds from a Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) deal with Yorkville worth as much as $500 million.

Murano to Spend $500M on BTC

Murano, which manages a $2 billion real estate portfolio, develops luxury hotels, such as Andaz and Mondrian. While maintaining these business ventures, the firm stated that it has added bitcoin acquisition to the list.

The Nasdaq-listed company’s strategic shift signals a significant corporate commitment to cryptocurrency, as it joins the “Bitcoin for Corporations” initiative as a Chairman’s Circle Member. The company plans to integrate Bitcoin into its hospitality operations, exploring payment acceptance, reward programs, and potential sale-leaseback deals to fund further BTC investments. Murano appointed Cohen & Company Capital Markets as its advisor for this venture.

Commenting on this new development, the company’s founder, chairman, and CEO, Elias Sacal, said:

“We’re incredibly excited about enhancing our core strategy with this complementary Bitcoin Treasury initiative. We see Bitcoin as a transformative asset that not only offers long-term growth potential but also strengthens our balance sheet against inflation and systemic risk.”

Murano’s move aims to boost capital efficiency by unlocking value from illiquid real estate assets. The SEPA facility’s proceeds of $500 million will primarily fund BTC investments. This indicates a significant shift toward allocating resources to cryptocurrency, rather than traditional business operations or expansion. This will potentially transform the company’s asset utilization and growth strategy.

More UK Companies Embrace BTC

Murano’s bitcoin acquisition follows the trail of other UK-based companies that have accumulated BTC. Among them is the digital services company, The Smarter Web, which has added $24.6 million to its Bitcoin stash with a new investment.

In other news, a UK pension fund with $65 million in assets made history by investing 3% of its portfolio in Bitcoin. The investment, valued at approximately $1.95 million, dates back to November 2024. The UK pension advisory firm Cartwright aided the pension fund in acquiring the BTC stash. Interestingly, this was the first direct Bitcoin investment by a British firm.