
The REAL Reason Michael Saylor Is Selling Bitcoin
- Michael Saylor long preached “Never sell your Bitcoin” – yet his company Strategy has sold over 5,250 BTC in 2025 to meet fixed dividend obligations on preferred shares.
- Strategy has five perpetual preferred stocks (e.g., Strike, Stretch) that pay high monthly cash dividends – totaling $1.2–1.7 billion per year.
- Stretch (STRC) has a ratchet clause: if the price falls below $95, the dividend rate automatically increases. Currently at 12 %, the price is $89 – far below par value of $100.
- In Q2 2025, Strategy paid $400 million in dividends but generated only $122 million in software revenue. The gap is filled by selling Bitcoin and issuing new shares.
- Previously, Strategy funded Bitcoin purchases by issuing shares at a high premium (MNAV > 3). But the premium has dropped to 0.68 – below the net asset value of the Bitcoin.
- Despite promising not to issue shares below 2.5× MNAV, the company has sold $14.3 billion in new shares – and liquidated Bitcoin to pay dividends and fund Stretch buybacks.
- Metaplanet (Tokyo) trades at 0.72× MNAV, Semilar Scientific was delisted, Satsuma liquidated all its Bitcoin, Bitdeer pivoted to AI.
- Bloomberg recorded a median decline of 43 % for digital asset treasury stocks – while Bitcoin itself fell only 27 %.
- The dollar reserve stands at $4 billion (covers ~2 years of dividends). Total debt fell 18 % to $6.7 billion.
- Analysts (Citi, Barclays) lowered price targets but see no bankruptcy risk. A potential MSCI index exclusion (37 % probability) could trigger forced selling.
- Bitcoin itself has no coupons, no maturities – only the corporate structure with fixed cash obligations creates selling pressure.
- Saylor defends himself: Strategy is not his personal wallet – he has never sold. The thesis that a company is a better way to own Bitcoin than owning it directly is currently being tested.






