March 25 (Reuters) - GameStop ( GME ) said on Tuesday that its board has unanimously
approved the addition of bitcoin as a treasury reserve asset.
The decision echoes that of Strategy, the largest corporate holder of bitcoin,
which in February dropped the word "Micro" from its name and unveiled a new logo, to emphasize
its commitment to the cryptocurrency space.
Strategy said that the rebranding was "a natural evolution" as it seeks to integrate bitcoin
- the world's biggest and best-known cryptocurrency - into the heart of its business operations.
The move by GameStop ( GME ) comes shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order,
signed earlier this month, to establish a strategic reserve of cryptocurrencies using tokens
already owned by the government.
GameStop ( GME ) said it will use a portion of its cash or future debt or equity issuances to be
invested in bitcoin, but did not specify the maximum amount of bitcoin it might buy, according
to its quarterly filing.
It also posted a rise in fourth-quarter profit, helped by its efforts to reduce costs, as it
continues to grapple with a slow turnaround in its mainstay of retailing videogame hardware and
merchandise.
GameStop's ( GME ) fourth-quarter net income more than doubled to $131.3 million, compared to the
same period last year, when it posted $63.1 million.
The company, once at the center of the "meme stock" trading frenzy, has been struggling with
its primary business due to an exodus towards digital downloads, game streaming and e-commerce
shopping.
However, it has been aggressively cutting costs. It closed 590 stores in the United States
in fiscal 2024 and anticipates closing a "significant number" of additional stores in fiscal
2025.
It reported fourth-quarter revenue of $1.28 billion, compared to $1.79 billion a year
earlier.