‘Sale of…’ – Inside Grayscale’s plan to erase Strategy’s $14B unrealized loss

ambcryptoPublished on 2026-06-29Last updated on 2026-06-29

Abstract

Grayscale's Head of Research, Zach Pandl, suggests that MicroStrategy (Strategy) could sell at least $3 billion worth of its Bitcoin holdings to cover its near-term cash obligations. This move, while reducing its BTC reserves, is presented as a way to restore market confidence by improving liquidity and reducing refinancing risk, as opposed to raising dividends on its preferred shares. This discussion arises amid significant challenges for the company: its stock (MSTR) has fallen sharply, it holds an approximately $14 billion unrealized loss on its massive Bitcoin treasury (847,363 BTC valued at $50.9 billion), and a key valuation metric—the MicroStrategy Price-to-BTC Reserve Ratio—has declined, indicating waning investor confidence in its Bitcoin-focused strategy.

For a while now, Strategy has been the subject of community scrutiny, and now Zach Pandl, Head of Research at Grayscale, has added his voice. According to Pandle’s recent X post, Strategy had to make a crucial financial decision the following week.

He anticipates that to attract investors and generate new funds, the company will raise the dividend on its STRC preferred shares by 50 basis points.

Grayscale’s head of research adds to the chatter

Nevertheless, this would also add to Strategy’s fixed financial commitments and possibly erode investor confidence by increasing its dividend obligations by about $100 million over the following two years.

Instead, he suggests in

Sale of ≥ ~$3bn $BTC to cover nearly all cash obligations for next 2yrs (ex one of the converts); probably would restore market confidence.

Although selling Bitcoin [BTC] would result in a decrease in the company’s BTC reserves, it would also greatly improve its liquidity position.

Additionally, it would reduce the risk of refinancing and probably reassure investors that Strategy can easily meet its short-term obligations. All of these factors could eventually boost market confidence in MSTR.

Strategy’s market dynamics

All of this occurs as Strategy’s Bitcoin holdings have grown to 847,363 Bitcoin, valued at $50.9 billion. In fact, since the 11th of August 2020, there has been one sale and 113 purchases, with an average cost of $75,646.

This comes as Strategy’s stock, MSTR, fell below $100 for the first time since March 2024, as previously reported by AMBCrypto.

Meanwhile, STRC was trading at $74.870 at the time of writing, and MSTR stock was trading at $82.31 following a 3.54% decline the day before.

Furthermore, AMBCrypto further revealed that Strategy is holding an approximately $14 billion unrealized loss, while its 11.5% dividend translates to approximately $1.2 billion in yearly payouts.

In contrast, Bitcoin was trading at $60,086.07 following a decline of more than 18% over the previous month.

MSTR-BTC ratio raises more concerns

While all this happens, the MicroStrategy Price-to-BTC Reserve Ratio chart indicates that by June 2026, the Price-to-BTC Reserve Ratio and the share price of MSTR had both dropped significantly.

Source: CryptoQuant

This implies that compared to 2024–2025, when the stock traded at a substantial premium, investors are now paying a far lower premium to Strategy’s Bitcoin treasury strategy.

Lastly, simultaneous drops in the stock price and valuation ratio indicate waning investor confidence.


Final Summary

  • Despite all the chatter, Strategy’s Bitcoin holdings have reached a total of 847,363 Bitcoin, valued at $50.9 billion.
  • The drop in the MicroStrategy Price-to-BTC Reserve Ratio is also putting further strain on Strategy’s plan of action.

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Related Questions

QAccording to the article, what is the crucial financial decision that Strategy (MicroStrategy) faces, and what are the two main options presented?

AStrategy faces a decision on how to manage its financial obligations and restore market confidence. The two main options are: 1) Raising the dividend on its STRC preferred shares by 50 basis points to attract investors, which would increase its fixed commitments by ~$100M over two years, or 2) Selling at least ~$3 billion worth of Bitcoin (BTC) to cover nearly all cash obligations for the next two years, which would improve liquidity and potentially restore confidence despite reducing BTC reserves.

QWhat is the current scale of MicroStrategy's Bitcoin holdings and its associated unrealized loss, as reported in the article?

AAs reported, MicroStrategy's Bitcoin holdings total 847,363 BTC, valued at $50.9 billion. The company is holding an approximately $14 billion unrealized loss on these holdings.

QWhat does the decline in the MicroStrategy Price-to-BTC Reserve Ratio indicate about investor sentiment?

AThe decline in the MicroStrategy Price-to-BTC Reserve Ratio indicates that investors are now paying a much lower premium for MicroStrategy's Bitcoin treasury strategy compared to 2024-2025. Simultaneous drops in the stock price (MSTR) and this valuation ratio signal waning investor confidence in the company.

QHow has the performance of MicroStrategy's stock (MSTR) and Bitcoin (BTC) been described in the article?

AThe article states that MicroStrategy's stock (MSTR) fell below $100 for the first time since March 2024 and was trading at $82.31 after a 3.54% decline. Bitcoin was trading at $60,086.07, having declined more than 18% over the previous month.

QWho is Zach Pandl, and what is his perspective on Strategy's situation as mentioned in the article?

AZach Pandl is the Head of Research at Grayscale. His perspective, shared in an X post, is that Strategy (MicroStrategy) should sell at least ~$3 billion worth of Bitcoin to cover its cash obligations. He argues this move would improve liquidity, reduce refinancing risk, and likely restore market confidence, which he views as a better alternative to increasing dividend obligations.

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