Bitcoin BTC/USD is undergoing a reframing in how institutions may treat it, not as a volatile asset, but as digital infrastructure akin to real estate.

What Happened: Fundstrat co-founder and Bitmine BMNR chairman Tom Lee drew a sharp analogy in an conversation with Bitwise, saying Bitcoin as a treasury asset is like owning the land underneath a McDonald's franchise, not running the business.

"It's better to be the landowner of a McDonald's franchise than the operator," Lee said, explaining that corporations may begin viewing Bitcoin as a foundational asset — one that provides long-term capital leverage much like commercial real estate does in traditional business models.

This shift, according to Lee, is a structural rethinking of how companies manage their treasuries.

Traditionally, firms preferred renting space or outsourcing infrastructure, similar to how telecoms once undervalued the ownership of cell towers.

But just as telecom towers grew into stand-alone, multi-billion dollar businesses, Lee sees Bitcoin following the same path—as infrastructure with compounding network value.

Also Read: Coinbase, Circle, Metaplanet Stocks Tumble: What’s Driving The Decline?

Why It Matters: Lee further elaborated on this thesis in an interview with CNBC, where he remained bullish on both equity markets and digital assets despite short-term market consolidation.

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Lee noted that the recent pullback in equities was a consolidation phase, predicting the S&P 500 could return to its all-time highs around 6,500–6,600 in the coming weeks, and reach 7,000 within the next 12 months.

As chairman of Bitmine, a newly emerging ETH ETH/USD-focused public company, Lee noted that Bitmine now holds nearly $3 billion in Ether, making it the largest ETH treasury in the world and third-largest overall in crypto.

The company recently secured investment from legendary investor Bill Miller, further signaling institutional confidence in long-term crypto plays.

Lee argued that weakening labor data and cooling inflation could prompt a dovish pivot by the Fed this fall, potentially igniting a broader market rally that benefits both equities and digital assets.

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