Leap Therapeutics’ share price surged after it closed a $59 million private placement led by Winklevoss Capital. Part of the cash will be placed in digital assets and the investors can appoint two board nominees, one of whom will serve as chair. The move shifts Leap away from standard biotech funding and into crypto holdings, a change that shareholders, risk officers, and traders who track corporate cash and price swings must now weigh.
The placement, detailed in a PR Newswire release dated 6 October 2025, earmarks money for drug programs such as FL-501 and sirexatamab, while also launching a digital asset treasury plan. Winklevoss Capital gains the right to name two directors including the chair, giving it direct leverage over strategy.
The same release lists Leap’s market value at roughly $22.11 million, meaning the raise dwarfs the prior valuation. A digital asset treasury strategy means the firm will hold cryptocurrencies or similar instruments, accepting their price swings in pursuit of diversification or returns.
Deal overview and strategic shift
The announcement pushed the stock higher and draws scrutiny to governance, market risk, and accounting rules. Observers note earlier companies that added Bitcoin to treasury books recorded both sharp gains as well as steep losses.
The deal sets a marker where biotech meets blockchain. Observers should watch how Leap deploys the digital treasury, how clearly it reports the holdings, and how regulators respond. For traders and managers, the chief danger is a crypto slump that hits just as the company needs cash for trials.
In practical terms, Leap now balances drug development needs with the volatility of a digital asset strategy, and the outcome will hinge on execution, disclosure quality, and market conditions.
