FH
Fold Holdings, Inc. (FLD)·Q1 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Revenue of $7.10 million grew 44% year over year; GAAP net loss widened to ($48.9) million due to large non-cash fair value marks tied to Bitcoin-denominated items; adjusted EBITDA loss was ($4.21) million .
- Against S&P Global consensus, revenue missed ($8.4M est. vs $7.09M actual) and Primary EPS missed (-$0.10 est. vs -$0.4225 actual); coverage remains thin (one estimate), limiting signal value.
- Management reaffirmed prior full-year revenue target of $61.6 million and set FY25 marketing spend guidance at ~$3 million (≈10x vs 2024) to support new product launches .
- Key catalysts: nationwide rollout of the Bitcoin Gift Card with gross revenue recognition, launch of Bitcoin rewards credit card with 75k waitlist, and opening custody/trading to all users—each expanding TAM and margin profile .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- Strong top-line and KPI momentum: +44% YoY revenue to $7.1M, total transaction volume ~$250M (+67% YoY), active accounts >600k with +17k adds, verified accounts 76k with +5k adds .
- Product pipeline and distribution: Credit card with 75k+ waitlist; gift card partnership provides access to ~150k points of sale; plan to open exchange to non-cardholders .
- Strategic treasury scale: Bitcoin holdings increased
50% Q/Q to 1,490 BTC ($150M value as of 5/13), aligning shareholders/customers and enabling future products .
Quoted management: “Our credit card…has the potential to be a game changer…As of today, we have over 75,000 customers on the wait list” . “Through our partnership with Totus, we now have access to over a 150,000 points of sale” .
What Went Wrong
- Miss vs consensus (limited coverage): revenue $7.09M vs $8.40M est.; Primary EPS -$0.4225 vs -$0.10 est.; note thin analyst coverage (n=1) reduces reliability.
- Operating expenses up sharply to $16.6M (vs $5.8M prior year) from public company costs and higher compensation/marketing/insurance; adjusted EBITDA loss expanded to ($4.21)M .
- GAAP loss driven by non-cash marks on Bitcoin assets/liabilities and convertible/SAFE instruments—expect continued GAAP volatility with BTC exposure .
Financial Results
Estimates vs Actuals
Values retrieved from S&P Global.*
Segment breakdown: Not disclosed; commentary indicates banking/payments main driver with growing custody/trading contribution, and gift card volumes to be recognized gross in custody/trading line .
Guidance Changes
Management noted they are not providing explicit updated FY25 forecasts until rollout progress is clearer .
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- Strategic positioning: “Fold now stands as the first publicly traded company focused entirely on delivering Bitcoin native financial products to everyday consumers” .
- Demand signals: “As of today, we have over 75,000 customers on the wait list” for the credit card .
- Distribution scale: “Through our partnership with Totus, we now have access to over a 150,000 points of sale” .
- Treasury alignment: “Bold’s treasury now stands at nearly 1,500 Bitcoin…our strategy is to continue accumulating opportunistically with every move focused on increasing sats per share” .
- Cost & profitability lens: “Adjusted EBITDA…excludes various noncash expenses…we believe are not indicative of our core operating results” .
Q&A Highlights
- Credit card rollout: Focus on quality/scale; remains on track for 2025; 75k+ waitlist; expect higher interchange and financing revenues; strong cross-sell opportunities .
- Geographic expansion: NY BitLicense is the largest near-term unlock; Arkansas smaller but targeted; recent addition of Texas access; exchange grew ~500% YoY .
- Marketing allocation: Spending targeted to credit card, gift card, and exchange; co-marketing with national retailers and social/financial content/influencers .
- Gift card mechanics/economics: Denominations $25–$500; redemption via code in Fold app; retailer + Fold share margin on sale price, making Bitcoin “ubiquitous” at checkout .
Estimates Context
- Consensus snapshot (thin coverage): Q1 2025 revenue $8.4M est. vs $7.09M actual (miss); Primary EPS -$0.10 est. vs -$0.4225 actual (miss); both based on a single estimate*.
- Note on comparability: GAAP EPS was -$1.92; S&P’s “Primary EPS” may reflect normalized methodologies; the divergence underscores limited comparability and low coverage depth *.
- Implications: Post-miss and with clearer gross revenue treatment for gift cards, models may need to adjust revenue mix, seasonality (Q4 peak), and non-GAAP focus (Adjusted EBITDA) while factoring BTC-linked GAAP volatility .
Values retrieved from S&P Global.*
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Growth runway: New products (gift card, credit card) expand TAM and should shift mix toward higher-margin revenue streams; watch rollout pace and retailer adoption .
- KPI strength: Broad-based engagement and spend per user (+47% YoY) support operating leverage as marketing ramps .
- Earnings quality: Expect ongoing GAAP volatility from BTC fair value marks and financing instruments; focus on operating metrics and adjusted EBITDA trajectory .
- Guidance: Revenue target maintained at $61.6M; ~$3M marketing budget signals commitment to acquisition; monitor realization vs seasonally strongest Q4 .
- Distribution advantage: Totus partnership and gross recognition of gift card volumes could materially scale reported revenue; track conversion from online to in-store .
- Regulatory unlocks: NY access would meaningfully expand exchange addressable market; licensing progress is a catalyst .
- Positioning: Significant BTC treasury (~1,490 BTC) aligns interests and enables product innovation but adds GAAP P&L volatility; treasury strategy is central to equity narrative .