Safello Quietly Amasses TAO: Nordic Crypto Giant Makes $114K Bet on Decentralized AI

Key Takeaways:

Safello acquired 229 TAO in 48 hours, deepening its bet on decentralized AI network Bittensor. The firm now holds nearly 700 TAO, alongside 8 BTC and 75 ETH in its crypto treasury. The move reflects a broader institutional pivot toward AI-native crypto assets, following similar strategies by MicroStrategy and Galaxy Digital.

Safello, the top cryptocurrency exchange in the Nordics, is making bold moves behind the scenes. In a strategic treasury shift, the company has sharply increased its exposure to TAO, the native token of the AI-driven Bittensor protocol.

Safello Shifts Strategy: Bets Big on TAO

On May 20 and 21, Safello offloaded 38 ETH—selling 19 ETH per day—to acquire a total of 229.35 TAO at an average cost of €370 per token. These purchases mark the third round of TAO accumulation this month, following initial buys on May 8 and 14.

Safello’s current crypto treasury now consists of:

8 BTC 75 ETH 698.36 TAO

At market prices of ~$110,864 for BTC, ~$2,653 for ETH, and ~$465 for TAO, the exchange’s crypto holdings now top $1.4 million—a figure boosted significantly by TAO’s recent price rally.

Why TAO? Why Now?

TAO is the native asset of Bittensor, a decentralized AI network where participants are rewarded for training and serving machine learning models. Unlike traditional crypto protocols, Bittensor operates as a permissionless AI economy, where token incentives align with data contribution and compute utility.

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TAO has surged nearly 40% in the past month, attracting growing interest from both retail and institutional players. Its blend of AI and decentralization makes it uniquely positioned in the current market cycle, where AI-native blockchain protocols are increasingly viewed as next-gen infrastructure.

Safello’s accumulation appears to follow a long-term dollar-cost averaging (DCA) approach, indicating strong conviction in TAO’s future potential.

Institutional Trend: From Bitcoin to AI Tokens

The New Face of Crypto Treasuries

Safello’s pivot isn’t happening in isolation. It reflects a growing shift in how institutions manage crypto exposure:

MicroStrategy continues to dominate headlines with over 576,230 BTC, valued above $63.8 billion. Galaxy Digital, a leading blockchain investment firm, holds ~8,100 BTC. Even Tesla maintains a position of 11,509 BTC, despite scaled-back purchases.

Read More: Strategy Reports $5.8B Bitcoin Gain in Q1 2025, Doubles Investment Plan to $84B

This positions Safello among the first regulated European exchanges to actively hold a decentralized AI asset as part of its strategic reserves.

Compliance Meets Innovation

Registered with Sweden’s Finansinspektionen since 2013 and listed on the Nasdaq First North Growth Market since 2021, Safello is widely recognized for its regulatory rigor. With over 404,000 users, it offers a secure platform for crypto trading, custody, and fiat on/off ramps.

Its latest treasury allocation signals that regulated institutions are now willing to diversify beyond BTC and ETH, especially when emerging narratives like AI intersect with blockchain.

For now, Safello’s TAO exposure remains modest in size—but strategically significant. The exchange is not just riding market trends; it’s helping define them.

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