Bitwise Says STRC Selloff Signals Crypto Cycle Bottom, Not Strategy Collapse

MicroStrategy, now known as Strategy, has raised funds by issuing STRC perpetual preferred stock and used the proceeds to add to its Bitcoin holdings. Investors have relied primarily on dividends and the shares’ $100 par value to underpin confidence. When Bitcoin fell to about $73,000, STRC dropped below $99, raising concerns about whether the company could continue raising capital, paying dividends and maintaining its Bitcoin treasury strategy.

As of July 19, 2026, STRC had extended its decline from below $99 to $75. It had also traded at $88–$89 during the period, while its annualized dividend yield rose to about 11.5%. Strategy’s latest cash reserves were estimated to cover about 10 months of dividends, up from roughly six months previously, but the widening discount showed that retail investor confidence continued to weaken.

Strategy launched STRC, a floating-rate perpetual preferred stock, in July 2025 with a par value of $100 to raise funds for expanding its Bitcoin holdings. Its dividend rate is adjusted monthly to keep the market price close to par. Although STRC ranks ahead of common stock for repayment, it remains exposed to risks tied to Strategy’s Bitcoin holdings, financing and dividend coverage. Its sharp discount to par is now testing its positioning as a stable income investment.

STRC closed at $91.79 on June 16, 2026, an 8.2% discount to its $100 par value and its third-lowest close since listing in July 2025, implying an annualized yield of 12.53%. Bitcoin was trading at about $65,000 at the time. After Strategy repaid $1.5 billion of convertible debt, its cash dividend coverage fell from 24 months to seven months. The same day, Strive’s SATA began paying daily dividends at a 13% annual rate while trading at $99.99, further drawing income-focused capital away from STRC.

Strategy, formerly MicroStrategy, has raised funds by issuing perpetual preferred stock STRC to expand its bitcoin holdings, closely linking the company's securities, leveraged financing and the crypto market. After STRC fell below its $100-per-share benchmark, investors grew concerned that its fundraising capacity and dividend commitments could come under pressure. The preferred stock's price swings have therefore become a key gauge of confidence in Strategy's creditworthiness and bitcoin strategy.

On June 18, STRC fell to its lowest level since issuance, subjecting highly leveraged investors to margin calls and forced liquidations. Strive's CEO stressed that the sharp declines in STRC and SATA stemmed from leveraged liquidations rather than deteriorating credit. The selling subsequently spread to the cryptocurrency market, briefly driving bitcoin down to about $62,000, while DeFi and smart-contract tokens also led losses.

Strategy uses its STRC perpetual preferred stock to raise capital, creating an ongoing funding channel for Bitcoin purchases. Its at-the-market program allows the company to issue additional shares depending on market conditions. STRC’s liquidity and market demand will directly affect Strategy’s ability to expand its Bitcoin holdings, as well as investors’ assessment of its financing ceiling and dilution risks.

The latest reports revised STRC’s Monday trading volume to $1.5 billion from an initial estimate of $1.16 billion and said it funded Strategy’s purchase of 11,707 Bitcoin, above the earlier estimate of 7,800. Trading volume could set another record on Tuesday, while Delphi Digital warned that the STRC financing model faces a $28 billion scale ceiling.

Strategy (MSTR) uses its perpetual preferred stock, Stretch (STRC), as a long-term financing vehicle, attracting capital through a relatively stable share price and dividend mechanism before deploying the proceeds into Bitcoin. The model can reduce the dilution pressure associated with frequent common-stock issuance while giving investors a gauge of whether the company can continue expanding its crypto holdings.

STRC recorded $333 million in trading value on Wednesday, its seventh-highest single-day volume since issuance, while moving by just $0.01 intraday, indicating stability despite heavy trading. Based on the amount raised that day, Strategy may have used the proceeds to buy more than 2,000 additional Bitcoin.

Strategy, the world's largest corporate holder of Bitcoin, launched perpetual preferred stock STRC in July 2025 to raise U.S. dollar funding through share issuance and buy more Bitcoin. STRC targets a price near its $100 par value, with its high dividend designed to attract income-focused investors while allowing the company to continue expanding its crypto holdings.

Strategy said STRC's annualized dividend rate would remain at 11.5% in April 2026, ending a run of seven consecutive increases since the product's launch. With STRC's market price gradually stabilizing and approaching its $100 par value, the company will not raise the rate this month but will continue using the stock as a fundraising vehicle for future Bitcoin purchases.