GSR Invests $100 Million in MEI Pharma, Aligns Treasury with Litecoin

GSR, a prominent player in the crypto capital markets, has announced a strategic partnership and investment in MEI Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ:MEIP), marking a significant milestone in the institutionalization of Litecoin as a treasury asset. The $100 million private investment in public equity (PIPE) into MEI Pharma is a pioneering move that aligns the company's treasury strategy with Litecoin, a cryptocurrency renowned for its stability, low cost, and accessibility.

GSR will serve as both a strategic advisor and digital asset treasury manager for MEI Pharma, working closely with Charlie Lee, the creator of Litecoin. Lee, who brings extensive technical expertise and a long-term vision for Litecoin's development, will join MEI Pharma's Board of Directors alongside a GSR appointee. This collaboration is supported by the Litecoin Foundation and follows MEI Pharma's recent review of strategic alternatives, reflecting a new mission aligned with both the Litecoin Foundation and GSR’s digital asset management platform.

Charlie Lee emphasized Litecoin's decade-long track record of providing a reliable and cost-effective network, highlighting its widespread adoption and integration across various platforms. This partnership aims to bring Litecoin's utility and mission into an institutional setting for the first time, bridging the gap between public markets and crypto-native innovation.

MEI Pharma's leadership views this strategic shift as a pivotal moment, positioning the company at the forefront of integrating cryptocurrencies into traditional financial strategies. With GSR as the asset manager and execution partner, MEI Pharma is well-equipped to manage Litecoin as a treasury asset, reflecting rising institutional confidence in Litecoin's credibility, resilience, and regulatory clarity.

Joshua Riezman, US Chief Strategy Officer at GSR, noted that this initiative represents the first instance of a public company aligning its treasury strategy with Litecoin at an institutional level. Quynh Ho, Head of Venture Investment at GSR, added that while there is significant institutional interest in Litecoin, few secure and structured mechanisms exist for accessing it. This investment aims to close that gap by providing access to an asset with remarkable staying power.

The collaboration between GSR and MEI Pharma, with Charlie Lee and the Litecoin Foundation, creates potential momentum for Litecoin's future growth in decentralized finance. GSR's broader involvement in the digital asset ecosystem, including the incubation of the Polygon-based protocol Katana, underscores its expertise in supporting emerging ecosystems. The investment was led by Charlie Lee and GSR, with participation from the Litecoin Foundation and prominent crypto venture capital firms and infrastructure providers, including Mozayyx, Parafi, HiveMind, Primitive, RLH Capital, Delta Blockchain, and CoinFund, among other financial institutions.

GSR continues to invest in the broader digital asset ecosystem, offering capital solutions, liquidity, and strategic advisory services to partners at all stages of growth. The firm's extensive experience in market-making, institutional-grade OTC trading, and strategic venture backing positions it as a key player in the crypto capital markets, providing strategic guidance, market intelligence, and access to a global network to help teams scale.