World-Class Economist Calls Out Flaw In MicroStrategy’s Bitcoin Bet, Says ‘Death Spiral’ Is Coming

bitcoinistPublished on 2025-11-18Last updated on 2025-11-18

Abstract

MicroStrategy, a publicly traded business intelligence company, is facing new heat as world-class economist Peter Schiff unleashes a blistering takedown...

Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure

MicroStrategy, a publicly traded business intelligence company, is facing new heat as world-class economist Peter Schiff unleashes a blistering takedown of the firm’s all-in Bitcoin (BTC) bet. As the price of Bitcoin slides below key levels, Schiff has warned that MicroStrategy’s model cannot sustain itself, arguing that a critical flaw could push the company into a “death spiral.” His claims have sparked a fierce debate within the crypto community, with many outrightly dismissing his perspective as exaggerated, while others closely monitor the market as pressure intensifies. 

MicroStrategy To Face Bitcoin-Fueled Death Spiral

Schiff’s latest criticism centers on MicroStrategy’s use of preferred shares to accumulate additional Bitcoin. He argues that the company’s business model only works if income-oriented funds buy into high-yield preferred shares, yet he insists the promised yields are simply a fantasy. 

According to him, once institutional buyers realize that the returns cannot be paid out, they will exit the investment, preventing MicroStrategy from issuing more shares. In his view, this could trigger a death spiral he believes is already unfolding. 

Notably, Schiff’s warning was met with immediate frustration from crypto community members who argued that MicroStrategy does not depend on preferred shares for survival. The commenter dismissed the possibility of a death spiral, insisting that the shares are merely a tool for expanding the business intelligence company’s Bitcoin stash and are not tied to operational stability. 

Schiff fired back, saying that without the ability to produce Bitcoin yield, MicroStrategy has nothing valuable to offer investors. His remarks came at a tense moment in the market. The price of Bitcoin had fallen toward $90,000 while gold hovered near all-time highs at $4,000, reinforcing the global economist’s long-held belief that gold is superior to BTC

Adding more fire, he stressed that the leading cryptocurrency had crashed 40% from its record highs and pointed out that the drop looks even worse when compared to gold, which has been performing fairly well. Moreover, with the MSTR stock down more than 50% over the past six months, the timing of his verbal attack on MicroStrategy couldn’t be more perfect for the skeptic. 

MicroStrategy Faces Trouble As Stock Falls Below BTC

Co-founder of EasyA, Don Kwok has highlighted a major risk with MicroStrategy’s stock trading below Net Asset Value (NAV). This means that the company’s market cap is lower than the value of its Bitcoin holdings. Historically, no treasury company has stayed below NAV for long without consequences.

Kwok explained that MicroStrategy’s business model works only if MSTR trades at a premium NAV. When it falls below, issuing new shares dilutes shareholder exposure because the company gives away more ownership that it receives in Bitcoin. He warned that if the stock continues to decline, it could lead to further losses, potentially increasing market volatility.

Bitcoin price chart from Tradingview.com
BTC crashes below $90,000 | Source: BTCUSD on Tradingview.com
Featured image created with Dall.E, chart from Tradingview.com
Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.

I'm Sandra White, a writer at Bitcoinist, and I provide the latest updates on the world of cryptocurrencies. I believe crypto a gateway to a new order and I have made it my life's mission to help educate as much people as possible. When I'm not at work, I love listening to music, learning new things, and dream of traveling around the world.

Trending Cryptos

Related Reads

Upbit is Anxious: A Hasty Counterattack Aimed at Regaining Stablecoin Market Share

Title: Upbit's Rushed Counterattack to Reclaim Stablecoin Market Share Facing a dramatic shift in South Korea's stablecoin market, leading exchange Upbit launched a promotional campaign from July 26 to August 9, waiving the 0.05% trading fee for stablecoins paired with the Korean Won (KRW) and rapidly listing new stablecoins like RLUSD and USDG. This move is a direct response to its plummeting market share in this sector. Historically a duopoly with Bithumb, the market has been reshaped since October 2025 when Coinone permanently removed fees for USDC trading. By June 2026, Coinone led with 34.8% of stablecoin volume, followed by Bithumb (31.1%) and Upbit (30.1%). This contrasts sharply with the overall crypto market, where Upbit commands 60%. The data shows stablecoin demand is highly sensitive to fees, as users primarily buy them to transfer capital overseas for derivatives trading or forex arbitrage. South Korean exchanges have seen a net outflow of stablecoins for 18 consecutive months, totaling approximately 14.9 trillion KRW, underscoring their role as a cross-border capital conduit. Upbit's limited-time promotion initially boosted its daily stablecoin volume by 162%, but the surge was almost entirely in USDT (98.1% of volume). The newly listed stablecoins saw negligible, fleeting interest. Furthermore, the promotional effect quickly waned in the second week, with volume dropping 33% on weekdays. A concurrent weakening of the KRW also contributed to the trading spike, independent of the fee waiver. The analysis suggests that once the promotion ends, Upbit is unlikely to retain its temporary gains unless it matches Coinone's permanent zero-fee policy, forcing a choice between market share and fee revenue. Upbit's strategic push may be less about immediate profit and more about preparing for future regulatory shifts. With South Korea's *Digital Asset Basic Act* on the horizon, which will regulate KRW-backed stablecoins, and following Dunamu's (Upbit's parent) integration into Naver Financial to build a payment ecosystem, securing a dominant position in the dollar stablecoin distribution channel holds long-term strategic value. However, potential regulatory conflicts could prevent Upbit from listing a future Naver-issued KRW stablecoin, making the current fight for dollar stablecoin flow even more critical.

marsbit5h ago

Upbit is Anxious: A Hasty Counterattack Aimed at Regaining Stablecoin Market Share

marsbit5h ago

Michael Saylor Compares Bitcoin and Gold!

Michael Saylor, founder of MicroStrategy, argues that Bitcoin fundamentally changes how wealth is stored and transferred by transforming digital scarcity into economic value. He describes Bitcoin as the first digital monetary network, combining computers, digital networks, and cryptography. It digitizes monetary assets, allowing their supply to be controlled by public protocols rather than institutions, thus converting economic value into information transmissible over global networks. Comparing Bitcoin to gold, Saylor states that while increasing Bitcoin's supply is harder, its integration with software and transfer is easier. He highlights Bitcoin's proof-of-work mechanism, which ties it to the physical world by consuming real energy to secure the ledger, making past transactions immutable. This creates a shared security system involving miners, energy companies, and investors. Saylor suggests "digital monetary energy" is a more accurate term than "digital gold." He emphasizes that the Bitcoin network is an adaptive ecosystem of miners, nodes, developers, and users. Its core design is intentionally simple, focused on maintaining a secure ledger for scarce digital assets, with complex functionalities built in higher-layer applications. This architecture allows Bitcoin to serve as a foundation for transmitting value and fostering innovation in payments and financial services. Saylor notes Bitcoin's deeper impact lies in creating digital sovereignty, where private keys give individuals permissionless control over their economic power, with ownership verified mathematically, not by institutions. He concludes that while gold's physical scarcity makes it money, Bitcoin's digital scarcity does the same, characterizing Bitcoin as the monetary energy of the digital age.

cryptonews.ru6h ago

Michael Saylor Compares Bitcoin and Gold!

cryptonews.ru6h ago

Trading

Spot

Hot Articles

Discussions

Welcome to the HTX Community. Here, you can stay informed about the latest platform developments and gain access to professional market insights. Users' opinions on the price of S (S) are presented below.

活动图片