Strategy (MSTR) has moved to the very top of Wall Street’s crowded-short leaderboard, according to a Goldman Sachs screen of the 50 stocks above $25 billion with the largest short interest as a percentage of market cap, a positioning shift that matters for the market because MSTR has effectively become a listed, levered proxy for Bitcoin exposure. Wall Street Crowds Into Shorts On Strategy In Goldman’s table, Strategy ranks No. 1 with short interest equal to 14% of market cap, ahead of Charter Communications at 12%. CoreWeave and Coinbase follow at 11% each, with Kimberly-Clark next at 10%. After that, the list compresses quickly: Western Digital, Bloom Energy, Dell, Palo Alto Networks, and International Paper all sit at 8%. Related Reading: The Saylor Discount: Why Bitcoin Trading Below Strategy’s Realized Price is a Gift for Late-Cycle Allocators The screen adds context on size and hedge-fund footprint. Strategy shows an equity cap of roughly $34 billion, with 53 hedge funds owning the stock as of 31-Dec-2025. Hedge funds owned about 3% of Strategy’s equity cap at both 30-Sep-2025 and 31-Dec-2025, and the table shows a (18)% total return year-to-date for the period captured, alongside 0 average days of volume to liquidate the hedge-fund position. By comparison, Charter sits around $30 billion in equity value with 62 hedge funds owning it, also at roughly 3% hedge-fund ownership on both dates, and a 15% YTD return, with 2 days to liquidate. CoreWeave shows a different profile: about $39 billion in equity cap, 62 hedge funds owning it, and high hedge-fund ownership—27% at 30-Sep-2025 dropping to 23% by 31-Dec-2025—with 33% YTD return and 4 days to liquidate. Coinbase appears at roughly $37 billion equity cap with 72 hedge funds owning it, about 2% hedge-fund ownership on both dates, a (27)% YTD return, and 0 days to liquidate. That dynamic is exactly what Fundstrat’s Tom Lee pointed to in a post on X, framing heavy shorting as a positioning signal rather than a fundamental verdict. “More signs of a meaningful low in place,” Lee wrote. “When a stock becomes a ‘consensus’ short, it is also a crowded trade… Hence, a stock can rise on ‘bad news’ because the bad news is priced in.” Related Reading: Strategy Unfazed By Bitcoin Crash, Michael Saylor Vows Quarterly Purchases Brian Brookshire, advisor to Moirai Capital and former Head of Bitcoin Strategy at Swedish firm H100, added: “I suspect a lot of this short interest is still MSTR / BTC basis trade. Jane Street, in particular, has recently acquired a conspicuously large IBIT position. All bets are off when, not if, the BTC bull market returns. mNAV expansion during BTC’s ascent is a spectacular thing.” Saylor’s Message To Bears: “Short us” Strategy executive chairman Michael Saylor has been unusually direct about what the company is and what it is not, trying to be for the market. In a prior interview, he argued that heavy short interest is a natural consequence of a company choosing to be a pure expression of a Bitcoin-heavy balance sheet. “You know, my real aspiration now is, if you really hate Bitcoin, I want you to love us,” Saylor said. “Like, we’re the perfect instrument to short, right? Because I promise you I won’t sell it, right? We’re going to be levered long Bitcoin. And if you don’t like it, or if you just want to hedge it, you get to sell our stock or sell puts or buy puts, right?” Saylor’s point wasn’t simply that shorts are welcome, it was that Strategy’s posture is designed to be legible. “We have been laser-like focused. We’re very consistent. We’re very transparent,” he said, before reiterating the operating promise: “We’re going to buy Bitcoin, never sell Bitcoin. We’re going to borrow money intelligently.” For Bitcoin-native investors, the practical takeaway is that MSTR’s equity has become a high-conviction battleground for BTC exposure: longs treat it as an amplified bet on BTC and capital markets access, while shorts treat it as the cleanest way to fade that package. At press time, MSTR traded at $127.80. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
Michael Saylor compared bitcoin’s 45% drawdown to Apple’s 2013 slump, arguing that enduring deep corrections is part of every successful technology investment.
Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) has become the public market’s most widely traded Bitcoin proxy, using equity, convertible notes, and preferred stock to build a balance sheet dominated by the top crypto. However, as Bitcoin trades near $68,000 and Strategy shares hover below $130, investors are paying closer attention to the mechanisms that allow the company to […]
The post Saylor confirms Strategy will survive Bitcoin crashing to $8,000 – but can it escape the slow bleed of dilution? appeared first on CryptoSlate.
Michael Saylor, the outspoken Bitcoin (BTC) advocate and Strategy (previously MicroStrategy) co-founder, said on Tuesday that the company remains firmly committed to its long‑standing Bitcoin strategy, despite growing concerns about its financial risks. Strategy Will Buy Bitcoin Every Quarter Speaking in an interview with CNBC, Saylor said Strategy plans to continue buying Bitcoin on a regular basis, regardless of price swings or skepticism from market observers. He said the company intends to add to its Bitcoin holdings every quarter and has no plans to reverse course. “I expect we’ll be buying bitcoin every quarter forever,” Saylor said. Related Reading: Strategy Expands Bitcoin Holdings With $90M Purchase, Bitmine Follows With ETH Addressing concerns about the company’s debt load, Saylor was dismissive of the idea that a prolonged Bitcoin downturn could threaten Strategy’s finances. He said that even in a severe scenario, the company would manage its obligations through refinancing. “If Bitcoin falls 90% for the next four years, we’ll refinance the debt,” he said. “We’ll just roll it forward.” Strategy currently carries more than $8 billion in total debt, much of it tied to convertible notes the company issued to fund Bitcoin purchases. Despite this leverage, Saylor said he believes lenders will continue to support the company even if Bitcoin prices decline sharply. Asked whether banks would still be willing to lend under those circumstances, he replied that Bitcoin’s inherent volatility does not undermine its long‑term value. “Yeah,” he said, “because the volatility of Bitcoin is such that it’s always going to be a value.” Saylor also rejected any suggestion that Strategy might be forced to sell its Bitcoin holdings to shore up its balance sheet. He emphasized that liquidation is not part of the company’s plan and reiterated his belief in Bitcoin as a long‑term asset. Short Sellers Increase Bets Market sentiment around Strategy, however, has grown more cautious. Short interest in the company’s stock has risen sharply, increasing about 40% from a low point in September 2025, according to an analysis published by Barron’s. Roughly 30.5 million shares are now sold short, representing about 10% of the company’s public float. At the same time, long‑term investors have pulled back, with Strategy’s shares, MSTR, falling around 70% to current trading prices of $134. Related Reading: Bernstein Calls Bitcoin Crash A ‘Crisis Of Confidence,’ Maintains $150,000 Target Despite the pressure on its stock, Strategy remains the largest corporate holder of Bitcoin. According to figures published on the company’s website, it holds 714,644 BTC, valued at approximately $49 billion at the time of writing. Saylor also noted that the company has sufficient liquidity to support its obligations, stating that Strategy has roughly two and a half years’ worth of cash on its balance sheet to cover dividend payments. At the time of writing, Bitcoin was trading at around $69,192, registering losses of nearly 8% over the past seven days and 3% over the past 24 hours. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com
Strategy, formerly known as MicroStrategy, is continuing its long‑standing Bitcoin (BTC) accumulation strategy despite ongoing market weakness and growing concerns around the firm’s unrealized losses. At the same time, Bitmine Immersion Technologies, chaired by well‑known market strategist Tom Lee, has revealed a major expansion of its Ethereum (ETH) holdings, underscoring a broader trend of corporate crypto accumulation even as prices remain under pressure. Strategy Adds 1,142 BTC Despite Rising Losses In a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission disclosed on Monday, Strategy reported the purchase of an additional 1,142 Bitcoin for approximately $90 million. The acquisition was made between February 2 and February 8 at an average price of $78,815 per coin, according to the company’s 8‑K filing with the regulator. The move extends Strategy’s aggressive Bitcoin buying campaign, even as the value of its massive crypto treasury remains below its total acquisition cost on paper. Related Reading: After Predicting XRP’s Drop, Analyst Says The Bottom May Be In With the latest purchase, Strategy’s total Bitcoin holdings have climbed to 714,644 BTC, a position currently valued at roughly $49 billion based on prevailing market prices. The company has spent about $54.4 billion to build its Bitcoin reserves, including fees and related expenses. Across all acquisitions, Strategy’s average purchase price now stands at $76,056 per Bitcoin, well above current trading prices. Concerns around Strategy’s balance sheet have resurfaced amid the recent Bitcoin sell‑off. As previously reported by NewsBTC, CEO Phong Le stated that Bitcoin would need to fall by roughly 90% from current levels for the value of Strategy’s Bitcoin holdings to merely match the value of its outstanding convertible debt. Even under such an extreme scenario, Le said the company would explore restructuring options if converting the debt into equity were not feasible. Bitmine’s Crypto And Cash Holdings Reach $10B On Monday, Bitmine disclosed that its combined crypto holdings, cash, and so‑called “moonshot” investments now total approximately $10 billion. As of February 8, the company’s crypto portfolio includes 4,325,738 ETH valued at $2,125 per token, alongside 193 Bitcoin. Beyond cryptocurrencies, Bitmine reported additional investments including a $200 million stake in Beast Industries, a $19 million stake in Eightco Holdings (ORBS), and total cash reserves of $595 million. Related Reading: Ethereum Price Set To Break Out Against Bitcoin, But How High Can It Go? The company noted in a Monday press release that its Ethereum holdings represent approximately 3.58% of the total ETH supply, which currently stands at around 120.7 million tokens. Thomas Lee, Executive Chairman of Bitmine, said the company acquired 40,613 ETH over the past week alone. He described the recent pullback in Ethereum prices as an attractive opportunity, arguing that the market is underestimating ETH’s long‑term utility. Bitmine also revealed that a significant portion of its Ethereum holdings is actively staked. As of February 8, 2026, the company had 2,897,459 ETH staked, valued at approximately $6.2 billion at current prices. At the time of writing, Bitcoin was trading near $69,495, reflecting an almost 11% decline over the past week. Strategy’s shares showed a modest rebound, rising 0.82% on Monday to trade around $136 per share. Bitmine’s stock, BMNR, also moved higher, climbing roughly 2% during Monday’s session to trade near $20.91. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com
Strategy’s leadership is pushing back against growing concerns that the world’s largest corporate holder of Bitcoin (BTC) could face serious financial stress as the cryptocurrency’s price continues to slide. Speaking after the company released its fourth‑quarter results, CEO Phong Le sought to reassure investors that the firm remains well-positioned, even as Bitcoin fell close to $60,000 on Thursday. Bitcoin Sell‑Off Tests Strategy’s Financial Resilience Bitcoin dropped roughly 50% since reaching all‑time highs of $126,000 in October of last year, a period during which Strategy, formerly known as MicroStrategy, was aggressively accumulating the digital asset. The sell‑off has weighed heavily on the company’s share price. Strategy’s stock, trading under the ticker MSTR, sank to about $104 on Thursday, its lowest level since August 2024, after plunging more than 17% during the session. Related Reading: Bitcoin Crash Exposes Colossal Corporate Losses — Here’s Who’s Most Impacted For now, investors are focused on two key factors: the price of Bitcoin itself and Strategy’s ability to meet its financial obligations if the downturn deepens. Those questions loomed large as founder Michael Saylor and CEO Phong Le addressed analysts during the firm’s earnings call. Much of the attention centered on how Strategy would navigate a prolonged “Bitcoin winter,” should one materialize. Saylor has already taken steps to bolster the company’s financial flexibility, including raising a $2.25 billion cash reserve to cover preferred dividend payments totaling $888 million annually. However, investors remain uneasy about the company’s $8.2 billion in low‑ and zero‑interest convertible bonds, which could begin facing early redemptions starting in September 2027, particularly now that MSTR shares have fallen sharply. Politics, Leverage, And Valuation In Focus Saylor reiterated that the company is keeping its options open, including the possibility of selling Bitcoin if market conditions require it. He also framed crypto investing as inseparable from politics, pointing to President Donald Trump’s pro‑crypto stance and noting that Trump’s nominee for Federal Reserve (Fed) chair, Kevin Warsh, is viewed as supportive of digital assets. Still, Bitcoin fell through its post‑2024 election lows on Thursday, reflecting skepticism that the federal government will actively support Bitcoin purchases. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reinforced those doubts this week, telling Congress he lacks the authority to rescue Bitcoin markets. On the balance‑sheet front, CEO Phong Le addressed worries about Strategy’s leverage. He said the company operates with roughly one‑third the leverage of a typical high‑yield firm. Related Reading: Bitcoin Crashes Below $67,000 As Stifel Warns Of Potential Drop To $38,000 According to Le, Bitcoin would need to decline by about 90% for Strategy’s Bitcoin reserves to merely equal the value of its convertible debt. Even in that extreme scenario, he said, the company would explore restructuring options if it could not convert the debt into equity. Strategy’s own disclosures show an enterprise value of about $49.95 billion, compared with roughly $45.33 billion worth of Bitcoin on its balance sheet. Enterprise value includes the company’s market capitalization, preferred shares, and convertible bonds, minus cash. If Bitcoin drops once again near $63,000, Strategy’s market cap of $35.57 billion would need to fall about 13% from its recent closing price of $106.99 to eliminate the valuation premium over its Bitcoin holdings. However, since Thursday’s crash, both Bitcoin and Strategy’s stock have made a significant recovery. Bitcoin, for example, has surged to around $69,256. MSTR has recovered above $130, marking a 20% increase in less than 24 hours and offering short-term relief. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com
The latest downturn in Bitcoin (BTC) has begun to weigh heavily on publicly listed companies that built their balance sheets around the market’s leading cryptocurrency. On Thursday, Bitcoin hovered near the $65,000 level, continuing the sharp decline that began last October. This has impacted equity markets, causing the shares of crypto-exposed firms to decline significantly. Bitcoin Slide Pressures Digital Asset Treasury Firms According to a Reuters report, the renewed volatility in digital assets is dragging down the stock prices of companies that hold Bitcoin and other tokens, raising concerns that the stress could spread more broadly across the sector. The number of publicly traded firms investing in cryptocurrencies surged last year, as many executives bet that digital assets would continue to appreciate over the long-term. Related Reading: Bitcoin Crashes Below $67,000 As Stifel Warns Of Potential Drop To $38,000 However, the backdrop has shifted. Investor anxiety over stretched valuations in artificial intelligence (AI) stocks, combined with uncertainty surrounding the future path of Federal Reserve (Fed) interest rate cuts, has weighed on risk assets more broadly. As a result, Bitcoin has slid to its lowest level since October 2024, putting pressure on companies whose business models rely on holding digital assets. Many of these digital asset treasury firms saw their shares wobble sharply on Thursday. Seven Major Companies Suffer Strategy (previously MicroStrategy), the largest corporate BTC holder with over 700,000 coins, has been among the hardest hit. Its shares have fallen from around $457 in July to as low as $106 on Thursday. In December, the company cut its 2025 earnings outlook, pointing to weakness in Bitcoin prices, and announced plans to establish a reserve to help support dividend payments. The firm led by Michael Saylor said it now expects its full‑year results to range anywhere from a $6.3 billion profit to a $5.5 billion loss, a sharp downgrade from its earlier forecast of a $24 billion net profit. Related Reading: Ripple Throws Weight Behind Hyperliquid, Fueling HYPE’s Rally Toward Crucial Levels Other Bitcoin‑focused firms also felt the impact. Shares of the UK‑based Smarter Web Company fell nearly 18% on Thursday. Rival Bitcoin buyers Nakamoto Inc and Japan’s Metaplanet were also under pressure, dropping almost 9% and more than 7%, respectively. However, the sell-off pressure has not been limited to companies holding only BTC. On Thursday, crypto-related firms that stockpiled other digital tokens also traded lower amid the correction affecting broader digital asset prices. Alt5 Sigma, which announced last year that it would accumulate the Trump family’s World Liberty Financial (WLFI) token, saw its shares drop 8.4%. Similarly, SharpLink Gaming, which holds Ethereum (ETH), declined about 8%, while Forward Industries, a holder of Solana (SOL), slid nearly 6%. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com
"Extreme fear" grips crypto and metals while U.S. equities show resilience ahead of key earnings.
Canaccord's Joseph Vafi slashed his price target on the plunging bitcoin treasury company's stock by more than 60%.
Last year marked the second-worst annual performance since Strategy adopted its bitcoin treasury strategy.
Bitcoin’s (BTC) sharp sell‑off has intensified pressure on Strategy, the company formerly known as MicroStrategy, even as it continues to expand its already massive cryptocurrency holdings. On Monday, the firm disclosed another BTC purchase at a time when prices were sliding to levels not seen in almost a year. Strategy Adds Bitcoin During Market Sell‑Off According to a securities filing released on Monday, Strategy acquired an additional 855 Bitcoin over the prior seven days, paying an average price of about $87,974 per token. The transaction amounted to roughly $75.3 million and further increased the company’s exposure to Bitcoin. The timing of the purchase, however, coincided with a steep downturn in the broader crypto market. Bitcoin fell below Strategy’s average acquisition cost toward $74,500, adding to investor unease. Related Reading: What’s Next For Bitcoin? Two Key Scenarios: Will It Crash To $60,000 Or Surge To $100,000? That price sat slightly below Strategy’s reported average purchase price of $76,052 per Bitcoin, raising concerns that the company’s sizable holdings could move underwater if the decline deepens. Market reaction was swift. MSTR fell 8% on Monday as Bitcoin slid below that average cost level. When Bitcoin briefly sank to its lowest point since April 2024, the value of Strategy’s total Bitcoin holdings stood at approximately $53.1 billion. A subsequent rebound toward around $79,000 lifted the valuation of the company’s Bitcoin position beyond $55 billion, offering some relief but little clarity on near‑term direction. Worst In The Nasdaq 100 So far, Strategy’s shares have suffered a steep decline. The stock is down 48% in 2025, making it the worst performer in the Nasdaq 100 index. For comparison, the second‑worst stock in the index, Charter Communications, has fallen 39% over the same period, underscoring the scale of Strategy’s underperformance. Amid these challenges, Strategy is also scheduled to release its fourth‑quarter 2025 results on Thursday. Wall Street expectations suggest modest top‑line pressure but a sharp improvement in profitability. The Zacks Consensus Estimate calls for fourth‑quarter revenue of $119.6 million, representing a 0.91% decline from the same period a year earlier. Earnings, however, are projected at $46.02 per share, unchanged over the past month and a dramatic turnaround from a loss of $3.20 per share reported in the prior‑year quarter. Analysts expect the company’s fourth‑quarter performance to reflect continued financial momentum, driven largely by Bitcoin‑related gains and disciplined capital allocation. Related Reading: Crypto Hacks Explode: $370 Million Stolen In January Alone: Researchers By the end of January 2026, the firm’s Bitcoin holdings had climbed to approximately 712,647 BTC, up from 640,808 as of Oct. 26, 2025, further increasing its sensitivity to price movements in the digital asset. Still, recent share price performance highlights the risks tied to that strategy. Over the past three months, MSTR has fallen 43.4%, significantly underperforming the broader Finance sector, which gained 4.3% over the same period. The stock has also lagged other Bitcoin‑exposed companies. During that timeframe, Riot Platforms, CleanSpark and Coinbase Global posted declines of 25.3%, 32.0% and 41.1%, respectively, pointing to widespread weakness among Bitcoin proxy stocks, though none have fallen as sharply as Strategy. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com
It was a relatively small purchase for the company, which now holds 713,502 bitcoin purchased at an average price of $76,052 each versus the current price of about $77,000.
The bitcoin treasury firm is using perpetual preferreds to retire convertibles, offering a potential framework for managing long dated leverage.
Access and market structure issues limit adoption of Strategy’s first non U.S. perpetual preferred, Stream.
The bitcoin-owning company's capital structure is shifting toward permanent capital, reducing refinancing risk and damping credit volatility.
The company now holds 709,715 bitcoin, acquired for nearly $54 billion.
ETF allocations to Stretch, Strife, and Stride underscore institutional appetite for MSTR income securities.
Risk assets slide amid tariff uncertainty and rising global bond yields.
The perpetual preferred equity, SATA, moved above $100, giving Strive access to at-the-market issuance.
Strategy has bought nearly 15,000 BTC so far this year, pushing its stash to about 687,000 BTC as Saylor signals more purchases may be coming.
Strategy's preferred stock, STRC, sees a familiar ex dividend dip below the $100 par level.
Strength in bitcoin linked U.S. equities, led by Strategy, is reinforcing positive sentiment during U.S. trading hours.
Stretch traded $175.7 million on Monday, almost three times its 30 day average trading volume.
Strategy purchased 13,267 BTC for $1.25 billion via the use of common stock and it's perpetual preferred equity STRC.
Risk sentiment deteriorates as safe havens outperform and equities weaken.
Structural demand, historical timing, and January inflection points collide in 2026.
The threat of a massive forced sell-off in crypto-linked equities has been averted. However, that reprieve comes with a structural catch that fundamentally alters the economics of the “Bitcoin Treasury” trade. On Jan. 6, the dominant benchmark provider for global equity and ETF markets, MSCI Inc., announced it will retain “Digital Asset Treasury Companies” (DATCOs) […]
The post Strategy saved from Index expulsion, yet a hidden clause effectively kills the infinite money loop for investors appeared first on CryptoSlate.
The bitcoin treasury company's perpetual preferred equity, STRC, hit $100 for the first time since early November.
Select bitcoin treasury equities gained after MSCI removed near-term index exclusion risk.
MSCI won’t drop firms like Strategy from indexes yet, but a broader rule change may still be on the table