Strategy Now Holds 713,502 Bitcoin — Is MSTR Too Big To Fail as BTC Price Slides
Prashant Jha
Fri, February 6, 2026 at 2:53 AM EST
4 min read
In this article:
Key Takeaways
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Strategy holds 713,502 BTC bought at an average price of $76,000.
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Q4 2025 posted an operating loss of $17.4 billion and a net loss of $12.6 billion.
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Public pension funds face mounting losses tied to MSTR.
Strategy, formerly MicroStrategy, released its Q4 earnings report showing deepening losses on its massive Bitcoin (BTC) bet, even as the company continues to hold—and add to—its position.
Now branding itself as a “Bitcoin Treasury Company,” Strategy remains the world’s largest corporate holder of Bitcoin and has shown no intention of selling despite billions in unrealized losses.
Strategy’s Q4 Report Paints Red All Over
Strategy reported Q4 2025 financial results on Feb. 5, underscoring the growing impact of Bitcoin’s price volatility on its balance sheet.
Revenue reached $123.0 million, a modest 1.9% year-over-year increase, driven primarily by its legacy enterprise software business.
That modest growth was overwhelmed by massive unrealized losses on Bitcoin holdings.
The company recorded an operating loss of $17.4 billion, compared with $1.0 billion a year earlier.
The results mark the fourth consecutive quarter under fair-value accounting, amplifying the effect of Bitcoin’s slide from roughly $120,000 to $89,000.
Net loss attributable to shareholders totaled $12.6 billion, or $42.93 per diluted share, dramatically missing analyst expectations of +$2.97 per share and representing a 1,545% negative surprise.
The loss dwarfs Strategy’s $670.8 million net loss in Q4 2024 and ranks among the largest quarterly hits in corporate history, rivaling losses seen during the 2008 financial crisis.
During the earnings call, CEO Phong Le highlighted flexibility in the company’s mostly unsecured convertible debt structure and emphasized expanding STRC to boost Bitcoin per-share exposure.
Executive Chairman Michael Saylor pointed to long-term catalysts, including regulatory tailwinds and potential advances in quantum computing for Bitcoin security.
Shares fell 17.12% in after-hours trading to $119.74 following the report.
Strategy Holds 713,502 Bitcoin, Now Deeply Underwater
As of Feb. 1, Strategy held 713,502 BTC, acquired at a total cost of $54.26 billion, or an average price of $76,052 per Bitcoin.
When Bitcoin fell to around $60,000, the company’s holdings were valued at $42.8 billion, translating into an unrealized loss of approximately $11.46 billion.
Although Bitcoin has since rebounded to about $65,000, the position remains deeply underwater.
This is not Strategy’s first brush with heavy paper losses.
The company began accumulating Bitcoin in 2020 and endured a similar downturn during the 2022–23 bear market, when BTC plunged below $17,000 after peaking in 2021.
Story Continues
Further declines could widen losses to between $6.5 billion and $9.3 billion, pressuring Strategy’s balance sheet and potentially triggering additional impairment charges.
Analysts warn that a drop toward $38,000 could mark the company’s worst drawdown since the FTX collapse.
Strategy continued aggressive purchases throughout 2025 and early 2026, adding 41,002 BTC in January alone, delivering a 22.8% Bitcoin return for fiscal year 2025.
Its largest single buy came between Jan. 12–19, when it added 22,305 BTC at an average price of $95,284.
Pension Funds Face Rising Exposure to MSTR
Public pension funds have increasingly used MSTR shares as a proxy for Bitcoin exposure.
However, the strategy has proved costly as Strategy’s stock tracks Bitcoin’s volatility with added leverage.
Since peaking in November 2025, MSTR has plunged roughly 77–80%, inflicting steep paper losses on retirement funds across the U.S.
Regulatory filings show that 11 state pension systems collectively hold close to 1.8 million MSTR shares, now valued at approximately $240 million, down from about $577 million—a loss of more than $337 million, or over 60%.
These funds manage retirement savings for teachers, firefighters, and public-sector workers, intensifying scrutiny over fiduciary responsibility.
New Jersey’s $9.5 billion pension fund, for example, increased its MSTR exposure to roughly $16 million before the sharp downturn, locking in losses as the stock slid.
While Strategy is often viewed as “too big to fail” within the Bitcoin ecosystem due to the sheer scale of its holdings, analysts warn that this perception may underestimate systemic risks.
A prolonged Bitcoin slump could trigger cascading effects, from forced equity sales to renewed regulatory pressure on leveraged crypto proxies.
The growing pension fund exposure underscores Bitcoin’s deepening institutional reach—but it also highlights the risks of concentrated, high-volatility bets embedded inside traditional retirement portfolios.
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