Michael Saylor denies reports of Strategy selling Bitcoin, reaffirms accumulation

Strategy CEO Michael Saylor claims the company did not sell any of its Bitcoin, following rumours that the firm moved over 40,000 BTC across several wallets, according to the Arkham Intelligence dashboard.

Strategy CEO reaffirms company's treasury stance amid market downturn

Strategy CEO Michael Saylor denied rumors on Friday that the company had sold approximately 43,415 BTC worth $4.26 billion to over 100 different addresses, amid a sharp crypto market downturn.

The speculation stemmed from Arkham Intelligence data showing large transfers and an apparent drop in tracked holdings, fueling investor panic as Bitcoin fell below $95,000. Addressing the on-chain activity directly, Arkham Intelligence clarified that the movements likely represent a custodian and wallet rotation rather than sales.

"Over the past two weeks, the Arkham platform has shown Strategy making a series of transfers from Coinbase Custody (their existing custodian) to a new custodian. It is likely that today's transfers are a continuation of this rotation," Arkham wrote in a statement.

The firm added that such transfers could involve direct moves to the new custodian, internal adjustments within its system, or refreshes at Coinbase, noting that "on-chain movements do not mean that Strategy has sold their BTC."

During periods of prevailing bearish sentiment, such large movements often trigger FUD, even though they are not necessarily selling activity. With Strategy's holdings serving as a benchmark for the broader Bitcoin treasury model, such movements tend to spark concerns among market observers and investors.

Strategy's official dashboard confirmed holdings remained steady at around 641,692 BTC, according to BitcoinTreasuries. The company has adhered to its long-term strategy of treating BTC as a primary treasury reserve asset since 2020, consistently adding to its stash during market dips.

Saylor also addressed the widespread speculation on X, stating that there was no truth to claims of a sale. He further told CNBC in an interview that the Strategy is accelerating purchases, with more acquisitions to be announced on Monday. "We are buying quite a lot," he said, describing recent price levels as a strong base.

The Strategy CEO also expressed optimism about Bitcoin's trajectory, describing the current price levels as a strong base and predicting the cryptocurrency will rally strongly from here. He forecast that Bitcoin would outperform traditional assets such as gold and the S&P 500 by the end of 2025.

Strategy's class A stock MSTR saw a 4.2% decline on Friday as Bitcoin briefly declined below $95,000 before bouncing back to $96,500 at the time of publication.