Did Tom Lee say he shares the same values as MrBeast?
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Did Tom Lee say he shares the same values as MrBeast?
At the end of the influencer economy lies lending.
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsCurry, TechFlow
Well, this is something you don't see every day: Bitmine, the world's largest institutional holder of Ethereum, has invested $200 million into Beast Industries—the company behind MrBeast, the most-subscribed individual YouTuber in history.
The former holds over 4 million ETH, worth more than $13 billion; the latter commands a global fanbase of 450 million across platforms, making it the biggest personal channel on YouTube by subscribers.
In the press release about this investment, Tom Lee, chairman of Bitmine, made a statement:
"Our corporate values are highly aligned with MrBeast’s personal values."
How exactly do the values of a crypto whale and a meme-content creator align?
I dug around and found that last October, MrBeast filed a trademark for “MrBeast Financial.”
The application details are extensive: cryptocurrency exchange, decentralized exchange (DEX), payment processing, small loans, payday advances, credit card issuance, investment advisory services.
Basically, every financial service imaginable—he wants to offer them all.
Now it makes sense. A company hoarding ETH invests in an influencer planning to launch a financial platform.
But I think there’s more beneath the surface.
Last October—same week MrBeast filed his trademark—on-chain investigator SomaXBT posted a thread accusing MrBeast of participating in multiple crypto projects back in 2021, receiving tokens at steep discounts, then dumping them after public sales drove up prices.
For example, SomaXBT claimed MrBeast invested $100,000 in a project called SuperFarm and received 1 million tokens. He sold them all within a month for $3.7 million. With additional token unlocks later, total profits were estimated at around $9 million.
Another project, Polychain Monsters: $25,000 invested, $1.7 million cashed out.
How much have these projects crashed since? Over 90%.
Arkham Intelligence has tagged MrBeast’s on-chain wallet. All transaction records are visible. After SomaXBT’s allegations went public, MrBeast didn’t respond, clarify, or sue.
And now, one year later, he’s applying to start a financial exchange...
You might ask: How can someone accused of rug-pulling investors still go on to launch a bank?
The answer: He has 450 million fans.
According to data firm Precise TV, 39% of MrBeast’s audience is aged 13 to 17. Out of 450 million, that’s roughly 170 million people.
This age group has one key trait: they’re just starting to open their first bank accounts. Research shows 49% of teens open their first banking account during this period.
One of the services listed under MrBeast Financial is “short-term cash advance.” In plain English: payday loans, typically carrying annual interest rates between 200% and 400%.
Previously, he partnered with fintech company MoneyLion on a promotion where users could enter a giveaway upon registration. Consumer protection groups criticized it, saying MoneyLion’s cash advance product was essentially predatory lending.
Now, he’s not partnering—he’s building it himself.
Beyond MrBeast’s high-production-value videos, Beast Industries as a business has been evolving steadily.
Phase One: Content creation. His videos are extremely expensive—often costing millions per episode. YouTube ad revenue doesn’t cover costs, but it buys attention.
Phase Two: Consumer products. He launched a chocolate brand called Feastables, which generated $250 million in sales in 2024, with $20 million in net profit—surpassing his YouTube income. He also created a virtual restaurant called MrBeast Burger, operating via third-party kitchens through delivery apps.
Phase Three: Now, finance.
Look at the progression: Fans first become viewers, generating views; then consumers, buying chocolates; and finally borrowers, taking out loans from him to buy more stuff.
With each step, monetization efficiency increases.
Back to Tom Lee—what’s his play with this $200 million investment?
I checked Bitmine’s recent moves. Yesterday, they held a shareholder meeting with a proposal to increase authorized shares from 500 million to 50 billion.
A 100x increase.
Issue new shares to raise capital, use funds to buy Ethereum, then invest in influencers, tell a story, pump the stock price, and repeat.
This strategy has a name: the "infinite funding glitch."
MicroStrategy did it with Bitcoin. Now many companies are copying it. Bitmine is the Ethereum version.
What’s different? MicroStrategy just buys and holds BTC. Bitmine buys ETH, then deploys capital—like investing in an influencer who plans to lend money to 400 million people.
Tom Lee says, “I believe this is part of the evolution of digital platforms and digital currency.”
Let me translate:
Gen Z attention + crypto financial tools + regulatory gray zones = “shared values.”
Speaking of regulation
If MrBeast Financial actually launches, I looked up what licenses would be required: FinCEN registration as a money services business, state-by-state lending licenses, and possibly approvals from the SEC or CFTC.
The trademark likely won’t be approved until late 2026. Earliest possible launch? Probably 2027.
No one knows what the regulatory landscape will look like by then. But Beast Industries’ CEO said in the press release that the funding will support efforts to “explore integrating DeFi into future financial service offerings.”
DeFi means decentralized finance—no intermediaries, no KYC, no regulation.
Integrating DeFi into a financial platform targeting teenagers.
Well... that’s certainly creative.
It reminds me of how influencers like Li Jiaqi and Xinba eventually hit the same wall: no matter how much they sell, most profits stay with the supply chain.
So they build their own brands, set up factories.
MrBeast seems to have figured out the ultimate monetization path isn’t selling products.
It’s lending.
You make money once when they buy. You make money repeatedly when they borrow. Compound interest—something Jews understood thousands of years ago.
Now, influencers are catching on.
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