Nano Labs, a Nasdaq-listed crypto infrastructure company, has announced a $500 million convertible note deal that it will use to acquire BNB as a strategic treasury reserve.

The Hong Kong-based firm, known for designing crypto mining chips, is targeting up to $1 billion worth of BNB, which will eventually put its holding at between 5% and 10% of the token’s entire circulating supply.

BNB Ecosystem Integration

The company’s aggressive move represents a major strategic pivot. It previously focused on Bitcoin (BTC), adopting it as a reserve asset and buying $5.5 million worth of the cryptocurrency late last year.

According to a press release, funding for the BNB accumulation will be provided through convertible notes that mature in 360 days. After that, they’ll be converted into Nano Labs shares at $20 each.

Applauding the initiative, Binance founder Changpeng Zhao clarified that none of his “affiliated entities” participated in the fundraiser, though he remains extremely supportive.

Nano Labs is also planning to apply for Hong Kong stablecoin licenses and has specifically mentioned building frameworks for Bitcoin and BNB.

The two developments suggest a cohesive strategy by the firm to position itself at the heart of Hong Kongs burgeoning regulated crypto market, leveraging the recently passed Stablecoins Bill, which is set to become effective at the beginning of August.

Market Reaction

Since the announcement, Nano Labs’ stock has skyrocketed 163% in pre-market trading according to Google Finance, signaling intense investor interest.

However, the immediate impact on the price of BNB has been more measured. As of this writing, the token had seen a 3.3% increase in the 24 hours following the disclosure, to trade around $638. Nonetheless, this uptick occurred against a backdrop of recent weakness. BNB has been down 2.5% over the past seven days and 3.5% in the last month, underperforming the global crypto market, which is up a slight 0.10% weekly.

Furthermore, technical analysis prior to the news breaking indicated BNB was in a downtrend since being rejected at the $692 resistance in late May, with critical support levels at $630 and $600.

While the Nano Labs commitment provides fundamental support, BNB may still face an uphill battle to reclaim its bullish momentum and challenge its all-time high of $788.84, reached just seven months ago in December 2024.