BTCS Inc. Announces Ether Dividend to Combat Short-Selling

According to Cointelegraph, Ethereum treasury firm BTCS Inc. has unveiled plans to issue a one-time Ether dividend payment alongside a loyalty payment, amounting to $0.40 per share in ETH. This initiative aims to reward shareholders and curb predatory short-selling practices. The company, which transitioned from Bitcoin mining to Ethereum operations, emphasized that these payments are intended to empower long-term shareholders by reducing the likelihood of their shares being lent to short-sellers. BTCS claims to be the first publicly traded company to offer a dividend in ETH, a move that has been positively received by investors, as evidenced by a 10.4% increase in BTCS shares on the announcement day. The ETH dividend, referred to as the "Bividend," will be distributed on September 26, while the $0.35 per share "Loyalty Payment" will be allocated in ETH to shareholders who retain their shares until January 26, 2026. This loyalty payment excludes officers, directors, and employees, as noted by the company. In a competitive landscape of 69 Ethereum treasury entities vying for substantial ETH holdings, BTCS aims to distinguish itself. Ether treasury firms have significantly contributed to Ether's price surge from approximately $1,465 to $4,775 over the past four months. BTCS is currently ranked 11th in the ETH treasury race, holding 70,000 ETH valued at over $303 million, according to StrategicETHReserve data. Leading the race are Bitmine Immersion Tech and SharpLink Gaming, with holdings of 1.5 million ETH and 728,800 ETH, respectively. BTCS has been actively engaging in decentralized finance activities, such as borrowing on Aave and staking, since at least 2022. However, the firm has intensified its ETH accumulation efforts in recent months, funding purchases through at-the-market equity offerings and issuing convertible notes, similar to strategies employed by its competitors. Following the announcement, BTCS shares rose to $4.87, recovering some of the losses incurred since reaching a 2025 high of $6.57 on July 18, as per Google Finance data. The Nasdaq-listed company now holds a market capitalization of $233 million.