Tabit Insurance SCC has announced the capitalization of a $40 million insurance facility, funded entirely in Bitcoin, according to a press release sent to Bitcoin Magazine. This marks the first time a property and casualty (P&C) insurer has held all of its regulatory reserves in BTC while continuing to denominate its insurance policies and premiums in U.S. dollars. The company expressed the benefits of its funding approach, allowing regulators and auditors to verify reserves in real time.
According to Tabit, its use of BTC as capital is intended to provide an alternative source of capacity for the insurance industry. The company operates as a segregated cell company, which allows for additional cells to be formed to deploy capital in the insurance sector. This structure also enables BTC holders to earn USD returns through their own segregated cells.
William Shihara, co-founder of Tabit, stated, “Our approach to capital allocation underscores our confidence in providing a steady hand to our partners. By combining traditional balance sheet strength with carefully chosen assets like bitcoin, we’re able to stay responsive to market shifts and better serve the insurance community. This solution offers a regulated dollar return which we’re excited to earn on an alternative asset class such as bitcoin.”
The company also emphasized that its reserves are verifiable on the blockchain through a proof-of-reserves model, which allows for real-time transparency beyond the typical quarterly disclosures in the insurance industry.
“At Tabit, we saw a clear opportunity to enhance transparency within an industry that has been sorely lacking in innovation,” said Stephen Stonberg, co-founder and CEO. “We’re eager to move the insurance sector into the future by demonstrating what is possible by allowing an insurer to access a largely new and untapped source of insurance capital: digital assets.”
Tabit is headquartered in Bridgetown, Barbados, a jurisdiction known for its captive insurance market and is a top ten global captive jurisdiction. The company states that Barbados’ regulatory framework provides oversight for its operations.
Tabit plans to work with insurance carriers, brokers, and organizations seeking additional capacity or alternative risk financing options. It also aims to collaborate with large holders of digital assets who want to generate USD income while maintaining BTC exposure. More information about Tabit Insurance SCC can be found on their website here.