BlackRock marks down Automattic shares 67.4% to $27.74 (June 30, 2025) — financial signal of dispute cost

Claim: BlackRock marked down Automattic shares from $85 (2021 Series E) to $27.74 as of June 30, 2025 — a 67.4% devaluation that leaves the shares worth only 32.6% of their 2021 Series E valuation.

Source: The Delta blog by Sam Sidler, August 27, 2025, citing BlackRock SEC filings.

Confidence: Verified (BlackRock filings are public).

Implication: The institutional investor signal that the dispute has materially damaged Automattic's valuation. Use carefully — share markdowns happen for many reasons (broader tech multiples, growth assumptions, etc.) and a one-quarter snapshot is not a full thesis. But: the timing aligns with the WP Engine litigation, and the magnitude is meaningful. See WP Engine vs Automattic timeline (Sept 2024 → ongoing) — open-source has centralized choke points.