In a significant institutional step toward digital asset integration, IMPERIAL AST LTD, a UK-based and regulated Class 3 Virtual Financial Asset Services Provider, has officially confirmed the purchase of £100 million in Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH). This acquisition reinforces the company’s strategic position in the blockchain sector and highlights its commitment to providing cutting-edge digital asset exposure for global investors.
The transaction was finalized during the first half of December 2020, with Bitcoin acquired at an average price of $23,400 and Ethereum secured at an average of $137. According to the company, the order was executed via multiple over-the-counter (OTC) institutional providers, ensuring optimal pricing, low slippage, and full regulatory compliance throughout the process.
This purchase comes at a time when institutional interest in cryptocurrencies continues to grow but remains tentative across traditional finance. IMPERIAL AST LTD has taken a decisive stance—making one of the largest known UK-based private institutional acquisitions of BTC and ETH to date—while other firms continue to delay or debate entry.
The firm emphasized that this allocation was made as a long-term reserve investment within its corporate treasury, in alignment with internal forecasts pointing to increased adoption of decentralized financial instruments, tightening monetary conditions, and the rise of alternative stores of value.
“Our decision to allocate capital to Bitcoin and Ethereum reflects a strategic view of blockchain as a core layer of future financial infrastructure,” said a spokesperson for IMPERIAL AST LTD’s investment division. “We believe in preparing for what the market will look like five years from now, not reacting to what it looks like today.”
IMPERIAL AST LTD is licensed as a Class 3 Virtual Financial Asset Services Provider, operating under the regulatory oversight of the Financial Services Authority. The company is registered in the United Kingdom under Company Number 16533970 and delivers professional digital asset trading services to clients worldwide.
The company’s investment in BTC and ETH follows a rigorous internal review conducted by its Portfolio Strategy and Risk Committee, which analyzed multiple entry scenarios, custody options, and forward-looking adoption metrics. The assets will be securely held using institution-grade cold storage solutions via a tier-one custody provider.
This allocation marks a milestone for the company, whose platform—Imperial Assets—serves a growing international client base seeking exposure to cryptocurrency markets through professionally managed solutions. The platform integrates advanced AI-driven trading algorithms, market scanning tools, and personalized account management for individual and institutional investors across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America.
IMPERIAL AST LTD’s AI-powered trading engine played a key role in timing the allocation. The firm’s system had flagged favorable accumulation patterns in BTC and ETH based on long-term wallet activity, OTC volume spikes, and relative strength trends in the broader digital asset market. The decision to execute in early December followed a confluence of signals indicating an imminent shift in capital flows toward digital assets, amid weakening confidence in traditional fiat-based reserves.
“We are not speculators,” the spokesperson added. “We are builders of long-term structures for our clients and our business. This move is designed to support our core treasury, stabilize our reserves, and offer long-term value to our global investor base.”
While the exact distribution between Bitcoin and Ethereum was not disclosed, company representatives confirmed that the weighting was designed to reflect current and anticipated utility within the global blockchain ecosystem—Bitcoin serving primarily as a value reserve and Ethereum as a protocol layer for decentralized finance applications.
The announcement has already attracted interest from private investors and family offices currently in discussions with the company. IMPERIAL AST LTD has confirmed that it will continue exploring additional structured crypto products and asset expansion in line with global regulatory evolution.
About IMPERIAL AST LTD
IMPERIAL AST LTD is a regulated United Kingdom–based Class 3 Virtual Financial Asset Services Provider, registered under Company Number 16533970. The firm operates the Imperial Assets platform (https://imperial-assets.net), offering AI-enhanced trading systems, institutional portfolio strategies, and personalized account management for cryptocurrency investors worldwide. The company serves individual clients, family offices, and institutions seeking secure, compliant, and performance-driven digital asset exposure.