Strategy Sold Bitcoin, But It’s Not What You May Think

Strategy, the largest corporate holder of Bitcoin, has sold a very small amount of BTC. However, the move doesn’t appear to signal a retreat from its long-running BTC treasury strategy.

Instead, the firm’s latest SEC filing shows that the sale was closely tied to corporate liquidity needs and preferred stock obligations – not a decision to cash out of Bitcoin. Let’s examine.

Strategy’s Bitcoin Sale Was About Dividends – Not BTC Capitulation

According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Strategy sold 32 BTC between May 26 and May 31 for around $2.5 million. The proceeds are expected to support preferred stock distributions – including cash dividends across the company’s preferred stock series.

This is an important distinction. Strategy remains by far the largest corporate Bitcoin holder, with 843,706 BTC still on its balance sheet, at an average purchase price of about $75,600 per coin.

The latest sale represents a tiny fraction of its overall holdings. During the same period, the company raised approximately $128 million by selling 801,994 shares of its Class A common stock under its at-the-market program.

On top of that, the company also disclosed a $900 million reserve and reaffirmed the 11.5% annual dividend rate on its STRC preferred shares.

Put in simpler terms: the firm is managing obligations around the structure of its preferred stock rather than abandoning its Bitcoin accumulation strategy.

First BTC Sale Since 2022: What Does It Mean?

Despite all of the above, the transaction is notable because it’s the first they’ve made since 2022, when they disposed of a little over 700 BTC for tax purposes.

The timing also puts renewed attention on STRC – Strategy’s preferred stock instrument. As CryptoPotato recently reported, analysts argue that STRC’s volatility may matter more for Bitcoin than spot BTC ETF flows. This is because Strategy’s preferred stock structure could create a one-way bid for Bitcoin. When the company raises capital through STRC, it can use those funds to buy BTC – that’s what they’ve been doing for a while now. However, when STRC holders sell, the selling occurs in the equity market and may not directly create selling pressure on Bitcoin.

Of course, STRC’s price stability is incredibly important for this flywheel to work. If STRC trades at or above its stated price of $100 per share, Strategy can issue additional shares and potentially use the proceeds to buy more BTC. However, if the price drops, issuance becomes harder, which could weaken a significant source of demand for BTC.

The post Strategy Sold Bitcoin, But It’s Not What You May Think appeared first on CryptoPotato.