Michael Saylor, co-founder and chairman of Strategy, one of the largest institutional buyers of Bitcoin, has strongly denied allegations that the company sold thousands of BTC. The rumors were fueled further after MSTR shares fell to their lowest levels in a year.
Rumors of Bitcoin Holdings Decrease
The allegations came to light with a note shared by Walter Bloomberg on his X account. The post stated that Arkham data showed that Strategy's Bitcoin holdings had decreased from 484,000 BTC to approximately 437,000 BTC. It was stated that it was unclear whether this difference of approximately 47,000 BTC was a sale or a transfer, but it was claimed that this was the first decrease since July 2023.
Michael Saylor's Direct Response
Saylor immediately responded to these claims, saying, “This rumor is not true.”
Discrepancies in Data Tracking
While Arkham claims Strategy holds 437,431 BTC, it also includes a note indicating the company sent 107,319 BTC to Fidelity Custody. In contrast, Strategy's own official dashboard shows a total of 641,692 BTC. This significant discrepancy raises questions about the data tracking platforms' measurement methods.
Strategy Accelerates Bitcoin Purchases
Saylor not only stated that there was no data supporting the claims, but also announced during a live appearance on CNBC that Strategy had accelerated its Bitcoin purchases. “We're buying, and we're buying a lot,” he said. “We'll be releasing our next buying report on Monday morning.”
When asked what price levels they were buying at, Saylor said the company had been collecting BTC at all recent price ranges. He also noted that purchases were made at around $95,000 today, adding that Strategy now owns “almost 3.1%” of the Bitcoin network and that their average cost per BTC is $74,000.