Digital Asset Treasury Firms Could Become Blockchain Economic Engines

Crypto treasury firms, also known as digital asset treasury (DAT) firms, are emerging as more than just speculative vehicles for token accumulation. According to Syncracy Capital co-founder Ryan Watkins, these publicly traded companies could evolve into long-term economic engines for blockchain ecosystems, leveraging their balance sheets to finance, govern, and build within networks.

Currently, DATs hold an estimated $105 billion in assets across Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other leading cryptocurrencies. While much market attention focuses on near-term trading dynamics such as premiums to net asset value or token fundraising, Watkins emphasizes a bigger picture: certain DATs may become durable operators that shape the future of blockchain economies.

Unlike traditional foundations, DATs could act as for-profit, publicly traded entities with mandates to deploy capital, operate businesses, and participate in governance. For example, firms holding significant amounts of Solana (SOL) or Hyperliquid (HYPE) tokens could directly influence ecosystem performance—enhancing transaction settlement or reducing user costs by strategically staking assets. Access to large, permanent token pools enables these firms to bootstrap businesses and scale services more efficiently.

Watkins contrasts this with MicroStrategy’s bitcoin-only strategy, which revolves around a non-programmable asset. Tokens like ETH, SOL, and HYPE, by contrast, are programmable, allowing DATs to generate on-chain yields through staking, lending, liquidity provision, and governance. This transforms treasuries into productive balance sheets, more akin to a blend of closed-end funds, banks, and even Berkshire Hathaway—but with returns accruing directly in crypto rather than management fees.

However, Watkins warns that not all DATs will survive. Early players focused solely on financial engineering may fade, while stronger firms with disciplined capital allocation and operational execution will thrive. Over time, successful DATs could recycle cash flows into token accumulation, ecosystem expansion, and product development, eventually becoming the “Berkshire Hathaways of blockchain.”