🚘⚡ Faraday Future Goes Crypto: Treasury, Index & Tokenized Cars
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EV startup Faraday Future (Nasdaq: FFAI) is diving headfirst into crypto with a set of bold initiatives:
C10 (Crypto 10) Treasury → starting with a $30M crypto buy, aiming to grow into the tens of billions.
C10 Index Fund → market-cap weighted basket of the top 10 cryptos (ex-stablecoins), with ETF ambitions.
Plans to purchase $500M–$1B in crypto, kicking off with BTC, ETH, and other top assets.
️ EAI Vehicle Chain → tokenized vehicle sales + crypto-based deposits (cars on-chain
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Ian Calderon, Faraday’s co-creation officer, is betting on a “super long bull cycle” ahead.
Why It Matters
Faraday says staking yields from the treasury could help fund R&D, stock buybacks, and long-term growth.
California State Treasurer Fiona Ma endorsed the plan, calling it a catalyst for jobs, investment, and sustainable development.
This makes Faraday one of the latest public companies to pivot into crypto treasuries—a strategy that has already helped boost valuations for others.
The Backstory
Faraday Future’s history is rocky: halted its $1B Nevada EV factory in 2016, major delays on the FF91 flagship, and only 16 cars delivered as of January.
Currently rebadging Chinese-made EV vans.
Under SEC scrutiny: founder Jia Yueting + president Jerry Wang both received Wells notices tied to its 2021 SPAC merger.
Shares closed Friday at $2.77 (–7.6%), but are still +75% in 6 months.
Big Picture
Faraday’s gamble isn’t just about cars—it’s about crypto-financed innovation. If successful, it could set a precedent for other EV startups to mix treasury management, tokenized products, and blockchain ecosystems.
But… with its shaky past, the big question remains:
Is this the lifeline Faraday Future needs, or just another hype cycle pivot?
What do you think—will tokenized Teslas, Rivians, and Faradays be the next big crypto use case, or is this just EV drama wrapped in a crypto bow?
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If Faraday really follows through, this could reshape how startups approach both treasury management and product innovation. Instead of relying solely on capital markets or debt financing, they’re basically trying to turn their balance sheet into an active yield engine by staking BTC, ETH, and other top assets. That’s pretty innovative for an EV company, and it could give them a funding advantage if the bull cycle plays out as Ian Calderon suggests.
Tokenized vehicle sales are also super interesting—imagine being able to secure a deposit, trade, or even collateralize a car on-chain. It’s a model that could reduce friction and increase liquidity in the auto industry. If Tesla, Rivian, or even Lucid decide to follow this path, we might be looking at a new standard for how EVs are financed and sold.
Execution risk is obviously huge given Faraday’s history, but if they can deliver, this pivot could put them back on the map in a way nobody expected.
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The vision sounds exciting, but I can’t ignore Faraday’s past. They’ve overpromised and underdelivered for years—scrapped factories, endless delays, and just 16 cars on the road so far. Pair that with SEC scrutiny around the SPAC merger, and you get a company that looks like it’s grasping for relevance rather than leading innovation.
Crypto-financed R&D and tokenized vehicles might grab headlines, but without proven manufacturing and delivery capabilities, it risks becoming another hype-driven distraction. Investors should be asking: can they actually build and sell cars consistently, or will the crypto pivot just burn through more capital?
At best, Faraday could pioneer a model others refine. At worst, this is another chapter in a long line of pivots without execution.