Cantor Equity Partners Reveals $458.7M Bitcoin Deal in Merger with Tether-Backed Twenty One Capital

Cantor Equity Partners (CEP) has unveiled a $458.7 million Bitcoin acquisition as part of a high-profile merger with Twenty One Capital, an investment firm focused on BTC and backed by Tether, Bitfinex, and SoftBank. The move, detailed in a recent regulatory filing, marks one of the largest BTC-related mergers in recent months and underscores growing institutional interest in crypto assets.

The transaction involves a complex business structure with Tether Investments (El Salvador), iFinex—the parent company of Bitfinex—and other stakeholders. According to the filing, Tether acquired approximately 4,812 BTC at an average price of $95,319. The assets are being held in escrow and will later be transferred to the newly merged entity.

On-chain data confirms that the escrow wallet received the BTC on May 9 from a Bitfinex hot wallet. As of today, the wallet’s holdings are valued at around $500 million, based on current Bitcoin prices, according to Arkham Intelligence.

Twenty One Capital is being launched via a SPAC led by Brandon Lutnick, son of Cantor Fitzgerald chairman and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. The firm will be majority-owned by Tether and iFinex, with Strike CEO Jack Mallers at the helm. SoftBank will also hold a significant minority stake.

At launch, the firm aims to manage over 42,000 BTC, positioning it as a major institutional player in the crypto space. CEP shares rose 3.7% in after-hours trading following the announcement, reflecting investor optimism about the merger and BTC exposure.

This strategic merger reinforces the accelerating integration of crypto into traditional finance, spotlighting Bitcoin’s evolving role in institutional portfolios.