8 Lessons In Bitcoin Treasury Strategy From The Strategy (MSTR) Q1 Call

By: bitcoin ethereum news|2025/05/02 18:45:01
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Strategy (MSTR) just released its Q1 2025 earnings presentation, and it was more than a routine update—it was a full blueprint for how to scale a corporate Bitcoin treasury with institutional rigor. Strategy (formerly Microstrategy) laid out its evolving capital plans, updated KPIs, and the financial logic behind every lever it pulls. If you are a CFO, investor, or strategic operator evaluating Bitcoin as a corporate asset, this earnings call offered a clear look at how to think about Bitcoin-backed capital structure, performance measurement, and long-term value creation. Here are the key takeaways: 1. Relentless Bitcoin Accumulation at Scale Strategy now holds 553,555 BTC—the most of any public company on Earth. Year-to-date, they acquired an additional 106,085 BTC at an average price of ~$93,600, bringing their total market value to approximately $52 billion. That equates to 2.6% of the total Bitcoin supply. What makes this notable isn’t just the size of the holding—it’s the pace and consistency of accumulation. Strategy has added to its Bitcoin position in every single quarter since August 2020 . Not one quarter missed. This isn’t opportunistic allocation—it’s a disciplined treasury play. Importantly, 100% of MSTR’s Bitcoin remains unencumbered. That makes it pristine collateral, usable for future fixed income instruments or as a backstop for equity-linked offerings. For corporate finance leaders, this underscores that Bitcoin can be scaled and managed with the same predictability as any core treasury asset—if the systems and discipline are in place. 2. $10B Raised in Just Four Months In the first four months of 2025 alone, Strategy raised $10 billion through a diversified capital stack: $6.6B via ATM equity $2.0B via convertible notes (0% coupon, 35% conversion premium) $1.4B via preferred equity (Strike & Strife) This pace is remarkable. But more importantly, every capital raise is measured against BTC-specific KPIs: yield, torque, and NAV impact. Each issuance is assessed not by fiat metrics like EPS or EBITDA, but by its ability to compound Bitcoin per share. That distinction is critical: Strategy (MSTR) isn’t trying to play defense against inflation. They’re playing offense—turning capital into Bitcoin, and Bitcoin into long-term outperformance. For other public companies, this is a roadmap for executing a Bitcoin capital strategy without relying on operating income or waiting for a high-cash-flow quarter. 3. A New Capital Ambition: The $42/$42 Plan In Q4 of 2024, Strategy launched the “21/21 Plan” to raise $21B in equity and $21B in fixed income. As of Q1 2025, they’ve nearly completed that. So they doubled it. The new target is the “42/42 Plan”: $42 billion in equity $42 billion in fixed income Timeline: End of 2027 Why does this matter? Because it establishes a model for scalable Bitcoin accumulation through structured capital formation . Strategy isn’t just holding Bitcoin; they’re building the architecture to do it perpetually. This capital plan gives them the runway to scale with market conditions, work different ends of the yield curve, and refine leverage over time. It’s a level of financial engineering that treasury teams should study. 4. Bitcoin KPIs Reimagined: Yield, Gain, and Torque Strategy raised its internal targets for 2025: BTC Yield: 15% → 25% BTC Dollar Gain: $10B → $15B What do these mean? BTC Yield is the growth in Bitcoin per share, net of dilution. BTC Gain is the total value of Bitcoin acquired through capital operations. BTC Torque measures value created for shareholders per dollar of capital raised. Instead of chasing traditional operating metrics, Strategy is laser-focused on how much Bitcoin they can accumulate per share over time. It’s a KPI framework that makes dilution irrelevant—as long as every issuance leads to more Bitcoin per shareholder. This reframing of capital efficiency will become increasingly important for all Bitcoin treasury companies as adoption scales. 5. MSTR Stock as a Volatility Engine One of the more surprising insights from the call: Strategy now tracks the “MSTR Rate”—a 103% annualized yield that traders can earn by selling at-the-money call options on MSTR. This metric matters because it helps explain why MSTR stock trades at a premium to its Bitcoin NAV. The equity itself has become a financial product : volatile, liquid, and durable. That makes it attractive not just to equity investors, but to vol traders, ETF builders, and income-seeking institutions. This is a real-world example of how Bitcoin exposure, when paired with deep capital market access, can create new types of yield for shareholders without sacrificing Bitcoin custody. 6. Strike and Strife: Capital Without Dilution In Q1 2025, Strategy launched two new preferred instruments: Strike: 8% convertible preferred Strife: 10% perpetual preferred Both are public, liquid, and yield-generating. Importantly, they provide permanent capital with: No refinancing risk No collateral requirements No covenants In the case of Strife, there’s also no conversion into equity, which means zero dilution to shareholders. These are powerful tools for scaling BTC acquisition without compromising on shareholder value or control. As these instruments mature, they may create a new fixed-income market anchored in Bitcoin—a development that could pull large capital allocators into the ecosystem. 7. BTC Credit Ratings: A Framework for the Future Strategy proposed an entirely new way to evaluate corporate credit instruments: using BTC as collateral . They introduced metrics like: BTC Risk: Likelihood of undercollateralization at maturity BTC Credit Spread: Yield required to offset BTC risk BTC Credit Hurdle Rate: Minimum ARR required to maintain investment grade Using this model, Strategy (MSTR) argues that its convertible notes and preferreds are significantly over-collateralized and should be considered investment grade—even though the market currently treats them as distressed debt. Saylor’s call to action? Encourage rating agencies to adopt BTC-backed credit frameworks. If successful, this could legitimize a brand new fixed-income category: Bitcoin-backed investment grade corporate debt . 8. MNAV and Shareholder Value Creation One of the most overlooked insights from the earnings call was how Strategy calculates and supports its premium to Bitcoin NAV (“MNAV”). Saylor outlined three key drivers of MNAV: Capital raised at a premium to NAV High BTC yield and torque over time Perceived durability and optionality of the capital structure By using instruments like Strife (which generates 19 basis points of BTC yield without dilution), Strategy can drive massive shareholder value while retaining downside protection. Their model shows that raising capital at 2x NAV and deploying it into BTC generates more long-term value than simply holding. For corporate strategists, this reframes equity issuance not as dilution, but as a levered mechanism for Bitcoin compounding . Final Takeaway: Strategy Is Building the Financial Operating System for Bitcoin This earnings call wasn’t just an update. It was a vision statement. Strategy (MSTR) isn’t simply holding Bitcoin—they’re monetizing the volatility, collateralizing the balance sheet, and creating a new asset class in the process. If you’re a public company CFO or board member evaluating Bitcoin, there is no longer any question of whether it can be done responsibly. The question is: do you understand how to make it accretive? Because the companies that do will unlock a capital advantage that others simply won’t be able to match. Disclaimer: This content was written on behalf of Bitcoin For Corporations . This article is intended solely for informational purposes and should not be interpreted as an invitation or solicitation to acquire, purchase, or subscribe for securities. Source: https://bitcoinmagazine.com/bitcoin-for-corporations/8-lessons-in-bitcoin-treasury-strategy-from-the-strategy-mstr-q1-call

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China's Central Bank and Eight Other Departments' Latest Regulatory Focus: Key Attention to RWA Tokenized Asset Risk


Foreword: Today, the People's Bank of China's website published the "Notice of the People's Bank of China, National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Public Security, State Administration for Market Regulation, China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, China Securities Regulatory Commission, State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Further Preventing and Dealing with Risks Related to Virtual Currency and Others (Yinfa [2026] No. 42)", the latest regulatory requirements from the eight departments including the central bank, which are basically consistent with the regulatory requirements of recent years. The main focus of the regulation is on speculative activities such as virtual currency trading, exchanges, ICOs, overseas platform services, and this time, regulatory oversight of RWA has been added, explicitly prohibiting RWA tokenization, stablecoins (especially those pegged to the RMB). The following is the full text:


To the people's governments of all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government, the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps:


  Recently, there have been speculative activities related to virtual currency and Real-World Assets (RWA) tokenization, disrupting the economic and financial order and jeopardizing the property security of the people. In order to further prevent and address the risks related to virtual currency and Real-World Assets tokenization, effectively safeguard national security and social stability, in accordance with the "Law of the People's Republic of China on the People's Bank of China," "Law of the People's Republic of China on Commercial Banks," "Securities Law of the People's Republic of China," "Law of the People's Republic of China on Securities Investment Funds," "Law of the People's Republic of China on Futures and Derivatives," "Cybersecurity Law of the People's Republic of China," "Regulations of the People's Republic of China on the Administration of Renminbi," "Regulations on Prevention and Disposal of Illegal Fundraising," "Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Foreign Exchange Administration," "Telecommunications Regulations of the People's Republic of China," and other provisions, after reaching consensus with the Cyberspace Administration of China, the Supreme People's Court, and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, and with the approval of the State Council, the relevant matters are notified as follows:


  I. Clarify the essential attributes of virtual currency, Real-World Assets tokenization, and related business activities


  (I) Virtual currency does not possess the legal status equivalent to fiat currency. Virtual currencies such as Bitcoin, Ether, Tether, etc., have the main characteristics of being issued by non-monetary authorities, using encryption technology and distributed ledger or similar technology, existing in digital form, etc. They do not have legal tender status, should not and cannot be circulated and used as currency in the market.


  The business activities related to virtual currency are classified as illegal financial activities. The exchange of fiat currency and virtual currency within the territory, exchange of virtual currencies, acting as a central counterparty in buying and selling virtual currencies, providing information intermediary and pricing services for virtual currency transactions, token issuance financing, and trading of virtual currency-related financial products, etc., fall under illegal financial activities, such as suspected illegal issuance of token vouchers, unauthorized public issuance of securities, illegal operation of securities and futures business, illegal fundraising, etc., are strictly prohibited across the board and resolutely banned in accordance with the law. Overseas entities and individuals are not allowed to provide virtual currency-related services to domestic entities in any form.


  A stablecoin pegged to a fiat currency indirectly fulfills some functions of the fiat currency in circulation. Without the consent of relevant authorities in accordance with the law and regulations, any domestic or foreign entity or individual is not allowed to issue a RMB-pegged stablecoin overseas.


(II)Tokenization of Real-World Assets refers to the use of encryption technology and distributed ledger or similar technologies to transform ownership rights, income rights, etc., of assets into tokens (tokens) or other interests or bond certificates with token (token) characteristics, and carry out issuance and trading activities.


  Engaging in the tokenization of real-world assets domestically, as well as providing related intermediary, information technology services, etc., which are suspected of illegal issuance of token vouchers, unauthorized public offering of securities, illegal operation of securities and futures business, illegal fundraising, and other illegal financial activities, shall be prohibited; except for relevant business activities carried out with the approval of the competent authorities in accordance with the law and regulations and relying on specific financial infrastructures. Overseas entities and individuals are not allowed to illegally provide services related to the tokenization of real-world assets to domestic entities in any form.


  II. Sound Work Mechanism


  (III) Inter-agency Coordination. The People's Bank of China, together with the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, the State Administration for Market Regulation, the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, the China Securities Regulatory Commission, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, and other departments, will improve the work mechanism, strengthen coordination with the Cyberspace Administration of China, the Supreme People's Court, and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, coordinate efforts, and overall guide regions to carry out risk prevention and disposal of virtual currency-related illegal financial activities.


  The China Securities Regulatory Commission, together with the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, the People's Bank of China, the State Administration for Market Regulation, the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, and other departments, will improve the work mechanism, strengthen coordination with the Cyberspace Administration of China, the Supreme People's Court, and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, coordinate efforts, and overall guide regions to carry out risk prevention and disposal of illegal financial activities related to the tokenization of real-world assets.


  (IV) Strengthening Local Implementation. The people's governments at the provincial level are overall responsible for the prevention and disposal of risks related to virtual currencies and the tokenization of real-world assets in their respective administrative regions. The specific leading department is the local financial regulatory department, with participation from branches and dispatched institutions of the State Council's financial regulatory department, telecommunications regulators, public security, market supervision, and other departments, in coordination with cyberspace departments, courts, and procuratorates, to improve the normalization of the work mechanism, effectively connect with the relevant work mechanisms of central departments, form a cooperative and coordinated working pattern between central and local governments, effectively prevent and properly handle risks related to virtual currencies and the tokenization of real-world assets, and maintain economic and financial order and social stability.


  III. Strengthened Risk Monitoring, Prevention, and Disposal


  (5) Enhanced Risk Monitoring. The People's Bank of China, China Securities Regulatory Commission, National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Public Security, State Administration of Foreign Exchange, Cyberspace Administration of China, and other departments continue to improve monitoring techniques and system support, enhance cross-departmental data analysis and sharing, establish sound information sharing and cross-validation mechanisms, promptly grasp the risk situation of activities related to virtual currency and real-world asset tokenization. Local governments at all levels give full play to the role of local monitoring and early warning mechanisms. Local financial regulatory authorities, together with branches and agencies of the State Council's financial regulatory authorities, as well as departments of cyberspace and public security, ensure effective connection between online monitoring, offline investigation, and fund tracking, efficiently and accurately identify activities related to virtual currency and real-world asset tokenization, promptly share risk information, improve early warning information dissemination, verification, and rapid response mechanisms.


  (6) Strengthened Oversight of Financial Institutions, Intermediaries, and Technology Service Providers. Financial institutions (including non-bank payment institutions) are prohibited from providing account opening, fund transfer, and clearing services for virtual currency-related business activities, issuing and selling financial products related to virtual currency, including virtual currency and related financial products in the scope of collateral, conducting insurance business related to virtual currency, or including virtual currency in the scope of insurance liability. Financial institutions (including non-bank payment institutions) are prohibited from providing custody, clearing, and settlement services for unauthorized real-world asset tokenization-related business and related financial products. Relevant intermediary institutions and information technology service providers are prohibited from providing intermediary, technical, or other services for unauthorized real-world asset tokenization-related businesses and related financial products.


  (7) Enhanced Management of Internet Information Content and Access. Internet enterprises are prohibited from providing online business venues, commercial displays, marketing, advertising, or paid traffic diversion services for virtual currency and real-world asset tokenization-related business activities. Upon discovering clues of illegal activities, they should promptly report to relevant departments and provide technical support and assistance for related investigations and inquiries. Based on the clues transferred by the financial regulatory authorities, the cyberspace administration, telecommunications authorities, and public security departments should promptly close and deal with websites, mobile applications (including mini-programs), and public accounts engaged in virtual currency and real-world asset tokenization-related business activities in accordance with the law.


  (8) Strengthened Entity Registration and Advertisement Management. Market supervision departments strengthen entity registration and management, and enterprise and individual business registrations must not contain terms such as "virtual currency," "virtual asset," "cryptocurrency," "crypto asset," "stablecoin," "real-world asset tokenization," or "RWA" in their names or business scopes. Market supervision departments, together with financial regulatory authorities, legally enhance the supervision of advertisements related to virtual currency and real-world asset tokenization, promptly investigating and handling relevant illegal advertisements.


  (IX) Continued Rectification of Virtual Currency Mining Activities. The National Development and Reform Commission, together with relevant departments, strictly controls virtual currency mining activities, continuously promotes the rectification of virtual currency mining activities. The people's governments of various provinces take overall responsibility for the rectification of "mining" within their respective administrative regions. In accordance with the requirements of the National Development and Reform Commission and other departments in the "Notice on the Rectification of Virtual Currency Mining Activities" (NDRC Energy-saving Building [2021] No. 1283) and the provisions of the "Guidance Catalog for Industrial Structure Adjustment (2024 Edition)," a comprehensive review, investigation, and closure of existing virtual currency mining projects are conducted, new mining projects are strictly prohibited, and mining machine production enterprises are strictly prohibited from providing mining machine sales and other services within the country.


  (X) Severe Crackdown on Related Illegal Financial Activities. Upon discovering clues to illegal financial activities related to virtual currency and the tokenization of real-world assets, local financial regulatory authorities, branches of the State Council's financial regulatory authorities, and other relevant departments promptly investigate, determine, and properly handle the issues in accordance with the law, and seriously hold the relevant entities and individuals legally responsible. Those suspected of crimes are transferred to the judicial authorities for processing according to the law.


 (XI) Severe Crackdown on Related Illegal and Criminal Activities. The Ministry of Public Security, the People's Bank of China, the State Administration for Market Regulation, the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, the China Securities Regulatory Commission, as well as judicial and procuratorial organs, in accordance with their respective responsibilities, rigorously crack down on illegal and criminal activities related to virtual currency, the tokenization of real-world assets, such as fraud, money laundering, illegal business operations, pyramid schemes, illegal fundraising, and other illegal and criminal activities carried out under the guise of virtual currency, the tokenization of real-world assets, etc.


  (XII) Strengthen Industry Self-discipline. Relevant industry associations should enhance membership management and policy advocacy, based on their own responsibilities, advocate and urge member units to resist illegal financial activities related to virtual currency and the tokenization of real-world assets. Member units that violate regulatory policies and industry self-discipline rules are to be disciplined in accordance with relevant self-regulatory management regulations. By leveraging various industry infrastructure, conduct risk monitoring related to virtual currency, the tokenization of real-world assets, and promptly transfer issue clues to relevant departments.


  IV. Strict Supervision of Domestic Entities Engaging in Overseas Business Activities


(XIII) Without the approval of relevant departments in accordance with the law and regulations, domestic entities and foreign entities controlled by them may not issue virtual currency overseas.


  (XIV) Domestic entities engaging directly or indirectly in overseas external debt-based tokenization of real-world assets, or conducting asset securitization activities abroad based on domestic ownership rights, income rights, etc. (hereinafter referred to as domestic equity), should be strictly regulated in accordance with the principles of "same business, same risk, same rules." The National Development and Reform Commission, the China Securities Regulatory Commission, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, and other relevant departments regulate it according to their respective responsibilities. For other forms of overseas real-world asset tokenization activities based on domestic equity by domestic entities, the China Securities Regulatory Commission, together with relevant departments, supervise according to their division of responsibilities. Without the consent and filing of relevant departments, no unit or individual may engage in the above-mentioned business.


  (15) Overseas subsidiaries and branches of domestic financial institutions providing Real World Asset Tokenization-related services overseas shall do so legally and prudently. They shall have professional personnel and systems in place to effectively mitigate business risks, strictly implement customer onboarding, suitability management, anti-money laundering requirements, and incorporate them into the domestic financial institutions' compliance and risk management system. Intermediaries and information technology service providers offering Real World Asset Tokenization services abroad based on domestic equity or conducting Real World Asset Tokenization business in the form of overseas debt for domestic entities directly or indirectly venturing abroad must strictly comply with relevant laws and regulations. They should establish and improve relevant compliance and internal control systems in accordance with relevant normative requirements, strengthen business and risk control, and report the business developments to the relevant regulatory authorities for approval or filing.


  V. Strengthen Organizational Implementation


  (16) Strengthen organizational leadership and overall coordination. All departments and regions should attach great importance to the prevention of risks related to virtual currencies and Real World Asset Tokenization, strengthen organizational leadership, clarify work responsibilities, form a long-term effective working mechanism with centralized coordination, local implementation, and shared responsibilities, maintain high pressure, dynamically monitor risks, effectively prevent and mitigate risks in an orderly and efficient manner, legally protect the property security of the people, and make every effort to maintain economic and financial order and social stability.


  (17) Widely carry out publicity and education. All departments, regions, and industry associations should make full use of various media and other communication channels to disseminate information through legal and policy interpretation, analysis of typical cases, and education on investment risks, etc. They should promote the illegality and harm of virtual currencies and Real World Asset Tokenization-related businesses and their manifestations, fully alert to potential risks and hidden dangers, and enhance public awareness and identification capabilities for risk prevention.


  VI. Legal Responsibility


  (18) Engaging in illegal financial activities related to virtual currencies and Real World Asset Tokenization in violation of this notice, as well as providing services for virtual currencies and Real World Asset Tokenization-related businesses, shall be punished in accordance with relevant regulations. If it constitutes a crime, criminal liability shall be pursued according to the law. For domestic entities and individuals who knowingly or should have known that overseas entities illegally provided virtual currency or Real World Asset Tokenization-related services to domestic entities and still assisted them, relevant responsibilities shall be pursued according to the law. If it constitutes a crime, criminal liability shall be pursued according to the law.


  (19) If any unit or individual invests in virtual currencies, Real World Asset Tokens, and related financial products against public order and good customs, the relevant civil legal actions shall be invalid, and any resulting losses shall be borne by them. If there are suspicions of disrupting financial order and jeopardizing financial security, the relevant departments shall deal with them according to the law.


  This notice shall enter into force upon the date of its issuance. The People's Bank of China and ten other departments' "Notice on Further Preventing and Dealing with the Risks of Virtual Currency Trading Speculation" (Yinfa [2021] No. 237) is hereby repealed.


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