Strategy absorbed a massive paper loss from bitcoin’s drawdown, sending its stock lower as Michael Saylor doubled down on long-term conviction and dismissed quantum fears.
This week’s crypto rout is now showing up clearly on corporate balance sheets.
Strategy (MSTR) reported a $12.4 billion net loss in Q4, largely driven by bitcoin’s sharp decline from its October highs. With BTC briefly slipping below $76,000, the company’s average purchase price, Strategy is now sitting on roughly $9 billion in unrealized losses after spending $54.2 billion to build its bitcoin position.
The result sent Strategy’s stock into another leg down. Shares fell more than 17% after earnings, hitting their lowest level in 18 months and leaving the stock down over 70% from last year’s peak. The firm still holds about 713,500 bitcoin, but its equity premium — long central to its strategy of issuing shares to buy more BTC — has largely evaporated.
This story is an excerpt from the Unchained Daily newsletter.
Management, however, struck a calm tone. CFO Andrew Kang emphasized that the company is designed to endure extreme volatility, while CEO Phong Le told investors that bitcoin would need to fall to $8,000 and stay there for years before Strategy’s balance sheet faced serious stress. Executive Chairman Michael Saylor echoed that message, calling the company a “digital fortress” and reiterating its long-term commitment to bitcoin.
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For now, Strategy isn’t signaling any forced selling. But with shares under pressure and the market questioning leveraged bitcoin exposure, Saylor’s conviction is being tested in real time.
Saylor also addressed a growing investor concern: quantum computing. He dismissed quantum threats as “horrible FUD,” arguing they are likely a decade away and would affect the entire financial system, not just bitcoin. He announced a new Bitcoin Security program to help coordinate work on quantum-resistant upgrades, stressing that bitcoin is “upgradable” through global consensus.
For now, Strategy isn’t signaling any forced selling. But with shares under pressure and the market questioning leveraged bitcoin exposure, Saylor’s conviction is being tested in real time.