Arca Warns Strategy’s Finances Are ‘Out of Control’ as Bitcoin-Sale Odds Hit 90%

Strategy, best known for financing a vast Bitcoin stockpile through equity and preferred-share issuance, has begun using some of its cryptocurrency holdings to support shareholder payouts and liquidity. The move is significant because Bitcoin remains the company’s core treasury asset, while dividends on its preferred securities and share repurchases create recurring dollar obligations that must be balanced against its long-term accumulation strategy.

In the week ended Aug. 2, Strategy sold 1,638 Bitcoin for about $104.7 million, its first disposal since June, reducing holdings to 842,138 tokens. Roughly half of the proceeds was allocated to preferred-stock dividends and the remainder to repurchases of STRC shares. The transaction extended the company’s estimated dollar liquidity runway to 2.3 years, giving it more capacity to meet cash commitments without relying solely on fresh stock issuance.

Software company Strategy, the world’s largest publicly traded corporate holder of Bitcoin, has long been known for an uncompromising buy-and-never-sell strategy. Executive Chairman Michael Saylor’s proposal to sell Bitcoin to fund dividends breaks with that previous pledge and signals a more flexible approach to capital management. The move shows the company confronting the realities of capital markets and has prompted investors worldwide to reassess the viability of crypto-heavy balance sheets.

Strategy reported a first-quarter net loss of $12.54 billion and still holds 818,334 Bitcoin. To raise funds for dividends, the company sold 3,588 Bitcoin for the first time between June 29 and July 6, 2026, generating about $216 million. The move raised market concerns: JPMorgan warned that the policy would add “two-way risk” to crypto markets, while Fortune warned that Strategy could fall into a death spiral.

Strategy (MSTR) has long financed Bitcoin purchases through debt and preferred-share issuance, tying its stock price and balance sheet closely to the cryptocurrency. Selling Bitcoin to fund preferred-share dividends broke with market expectations that the company would only buy and never sell. The move has also renewed scrutiny of its liquidity management and Bitcoin-holding strategy.

Strategy recently sold 3,588 Bitcoin for about $216 million, its largest disposal on record, while Bitcoin remained near $63,000. The cryptocurrency’s decline also led the company to recognize more than $8.3 billion in unrealized losses in the second quarter of 2026. Grayscale recommended that Strategy sell $3 billion worth of Bitcoin to rebuild market confidence.

Strategy, formerly MicroStrategy, began adding Bitcoin to its balance sheet in 2020 and continued buying through debt and equity issuance, becoming the world’s largest publicly traded corporate holder of the cryptocurrency. Executive Chairman Michael Saylor has long promoted a “never sell” message. Although the disposal was small, it raises questions about whether Bitcoin reserves can also serve as a liquidity backstop for the company’s preferred-share “digital credit” business.

Strategy sold 32 BTC from May 26 through May 31, 2026, at an average price of $77,135 each, raising about $2.5 million. It disclosed the sale to the SEC on June 1 and said the proceeds were intended to fund preferred-share dividends. As of May 31, the company still held 843,706 BTC acquired for a total of $63.87 billion. Saylor described the sale as a tactical move and said Strategy would remain a net buyer.

Strategy has accumulated large amounts of bitcoin on its corporate balance sheet since 2020, cultivating a long-standing image of buying and never selling. Because its holdings account for about 4.2% of bitcoin in global circulation, any sale could affect market prices and investor confidence, drawing close attention to its shift toward active management.

CEO Phong Le said on June 11, 2026, that the company had sold a total of about 50,000 bitcoin since the end of 2025, worth an estimated $3 billion to $3.5 billion at prices during the trading period. He said the sales were intended to test internal processes and acclimate the market to such adjustments. Strategy still holds more than 845,000 bitcoin, and its long-term holding strategy remains unchanged.

Strategy, formerly MicroStrategy, has raised funds through stock and debt offerings to buy Bitcoin, making the crypto asset the centerpiece of its corporate treasury. Executive Chairman Michael Saylor has long advocated holding rather than selling. His new openness to disposing of part of the position has implications for the company’s cash flow, debt management and shareholders’ exposure to Bitcoin price risk.

Saylor said in a recent interview that it was “not unlikely” Strategy would sell some Bitcoin by the end of 2026, but did not disclose the expected amount or value. The company plans to manage cash flow using equity and credit instruments while operating under a diversified model, with the goal of maximizing Bitcoin holdings per share by 2033.