Strategy (MSTR), recognized as the largest publicly traded company holding bitcoin, hinted at selling some of its cryptocurrency holdings to fulfill dividend obligations. During a Q1 2026 earnings call, Executive Chairman Michael Saylor proposed that the firm might liquidate part of its bitcoin reserves to cover these payments. He stated, “We will probably sell some bitcoin to pay a dividend just to inoculate the market and send the message that we did it.”
The company reported a $12.54 billion net loss for Q4 but maintained its total bitcoin holdings at 818,334 BTC, with an average acquisition cost of $75,537 per coin.
Strategy faces approximately $1.5 billion in dividend obligations, including annualized preferred stock dividends and interest on outstanding debt. The firm estimates it has about 18 months to cover these obligations using its USD reserves.
Saylor explained the strategy involves purchasing bitcoin with credit, allowing it to appreciate, and then selectively selling portions of the asset to meet dividend commitments. “You buy bitcoin with credit, you let it appreciate, and then you sell bitcoin to pay the dividend,” he described.
Following this announcement, Strategy’s stock experienced a more than 4% drop in after-hours trading, while bitcoin’s price fell below $81,000.