Strategy expanded its Bitcoin reserves again after executing another large weekly purchase. The move extended the firm’s aggressive accumulation strategy and pushed total holdings above 760,000 coins. Meanwhile, the purchase came as Bitcoin traded above $74,000 during the latest market rally.

Strategy Expands Bitcoin Holdings With $1.57 Billion Purchase

Strategy increased its Bitcoin treasury through a major acquisition announced in a recent regulatory filing. The company purchased 22,337 BTC for approximately $1.57 billion during the latest buying cycle. Furthermore, the average purchase price reached about $70,194 per Bitcoin.

The acquisition marked the company’s largest Bitcoin purchase of the year. It exceeded the 22,305 BTC purchase completed earlier in January. As a result, Strategy reinforced its position as the largest corporate holder of Bitcoin.

The latest purchase also extended the firm’s consistent buying streak. Strategy completed twelve consecutive weekly Bitcoin acquisitions through its treasury strategy. Therefore, the company maintained a steady accumulation pace despite market volatility.

Total holdings now stand at approximately 761,068 BTC across all acquisitions. Strategy acquired these coins for a combined value of roughly $57.61 billion. Consequently, the firm holds Bitcoin at an average cost of about $75,696 per coin.

The company built its Bitcoin treasury over several years through continuous purchases. The strategy began under the leadership of Michael Saylor. Since then, the firm has positioned Bitcoin as its primary treasury reserve asset.

Stock Sales Fund Latest Weekly Bitcoin Acquisition

Strategy financed the latest purchase through share sales under its capital raising programs. The company issued shares of STRC preferred stock and common MSTR stock. These sales generated the funds required for the Bitcoin acquisition.

The company sold approximately 11.8 million STRC shares during the period. That transaction produced net proceeds of roughly $1.18 billion. Meanwhile, Strategy also sold about 2.8 million MSTR shares.

The MSTR share sale raised an additional $396 million in proceeds. Combined funding from both programs supported the $1.57 billion Bitcoin purchase. Therefore, equity issuance remained a key part of the firm’s treasury approach.

This transaction also marked a notable shift in Strategy’s funding structure. The company raised more capital from the STRC at the market program than from MSTR shares. Such a development occurred for the first time this year.

Market data also showed strong trading activity around the STRC instrument. The preferred stock recorded one of its most active trading weeks during the month. Consequently, the strong liquidity supported the company’s financing strategy.

MSTR Stock Rises As Bitcoin Climbs Above $74,000

Strategy’s stock price advanced following the announcement of the new Bitcoin purchase. Market data indicated that MSTR shares traded near $146 during the latest session. The stock gained more than 4% compared with last week’s closing level.

Earlier trading activity pushed the shares even higher before the market opened. The stock reached roughly $149 during premarket trading hours. This movement reflected increased market attention around the company’s Bitcoin strategy.

The rally also coincided with upward momentum in Bitcoin’s price. Bitcoin climbed above $74,000 during intraday trading on the same day. As a result, Strategy’s share performance often mirrored movements in the cryptocurrency market.

Market analysts also evaluated the impact of the latest acquisition on shareholders. Some industry observers described the purchase as the most accretive transaction since November 2024. The analysis focused on how the financing structure supported shareholder value.

Other analysts highlighted the growing use of STRC financing in recent transactions. They noted a shift toward preferred stock funding rather than common share sales. Therefore, the trend may influence how Strategy structures future Bitcoin purchases.

Stretch the Orange Dots. pic.twitter.com/WMVPUxlIcx

— Michael Saylor (@saylor) March 15, 2026

TLDR

• Russia will collect about 567 million rubles or over $7 million in crypto mining taxes for 2025.
• The Federal Tax Service said miners will pay 84 million rubles in personal income tax and 483 million rubles in corporate tax.
• Earlier projections had estimated mining tax revenue at 6 billion rubles, which is far higher than the current figure.
• Officials said rising electricity tariffs and lower Bitcoin prices reduced miners’ profitability.
• Authorities reported that more than two-thirds of active mining enterprises remain unregistered.

Russia will collect about 567 million rubles in taxes from cryptocurrency miners for 2025. The amount equals slightly over $7 million at the current exchange rate. Officials confirmed the figure and outlined lower-than-expected revenue from the regulated mining sector.

Russia Mining Tax Revenue Falls Short of Early Projections

Denis Kuzmichev, head of taxpayer registration at the Federal Tax Service, presented the updated figures during a public briefing. He stated that miners will transfer 84 million rubles in personal income tax and 483 million rubles in corporate income tax. He also said the second quarter of last year generated the highest assessed payments, totaling about 180 million rubles.

Earlier projections had estimated tax revenue of 6 billion rubles, or nearly $74 million. Sergey Bezdelov, Director of the Industrial Mining Association, recalled those expectations during the meeting. He said rising electricity tariffs, a high global Bitcoin hash rate, and lower BTC prices reduced miners’ profitability.

Officials also cited the weaker U.S. dollar against the ruble as a factor affecting returns. Kuzmichev stated that limited legalization has constrained full tax collection. Authorities reported that more than two-thirds of active mining enterprises remain unregistered.

Russia adopted legislation in 2024 to regulate cryptocurrency mining activities. The law permits legal entities, entrepreneurs, and citizens to participate in mining operations. However, companies and entrepreneurs must register with the Federal Tax Service.

Citizens may mine without registration if they consume less than 6,000 kWh per month. All miners must report the type and value of digital assets produced. They must also disclose the hardware used in mining operations.

Russia Expands Mining Capacity While Enforcing Restrictions

The Ministry of Energy reported that the mining industry consumes 16 billion kWh annually. Bezdelov said this accounts for about 2% of Russia’s total electricity demand. Authorities also confirmed that mining farms and data centers reached 4 GW of connected capacity in 2025.

The 4 GW capacity marks a 33% increase compared to the previous year. However, the government imposed a full mining ban in 10 regions. The restrictions target areas in the Far East, Siberia, the Caucasus republics, and occupied territories in Eastern Ukraine.

Officials introduced seasonal bans in the Republic of Buryatia and Zabaykalsky Krai. Those restrictions expired on March 15. However, the federal government is considering year-round limits in both regions.

Lawmakers are preparing new financial penalties for violations of mining rules. The legislative committee at the State Duma approved a bill introducing fines. The draft sets fines between 100,000 and 150,000 rubles for individuals.

Companies could face fines ranging from 1 million to 2 million rubles. Authorities may also suspend operations for up to 90 days. In both cases, officials may confiscate mining equipment.

The bill also targets unregistered mining where registration is required. Fines for such violations range from 100,000 to 500,000 rubles. The State Duma committee recommended the bill for adoption on Monday.

Cryptocurrencies seem to have lost their allure at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival, giving way this year to panels and events focused on the rise of artificial intelligence.

As the annual Austin, Texas event kicked off last week for a run through Wednesday, only a few official sessions focused on crypto, while a side event, the “Bitcoin Takeover” in downtown Austin, featured Bitcoin (BTC) maximalists and other industry representatives.

“Almost exactly the pattern that’s playing out with AI is what’s playing out with crypto,” Ali Tager, the National Cryptocurrency Association’s vice president of communications, told Cointelegraph, referring to many of the uncertainties from the general public in the early days of the industry. 

She added: “I do believe that crypto is just a few years behind on that journey.”

Related: High-yield bond surge signals rising risk, demand in BTC mining, AI infrastructure

In contrast to previous SXSW festivals in Austin, which doted heavily on nonfungible tokens (NFTs) in 2022, focused on Web3 in 2023, and featured Coinbase executives in 2025, the industry representation this year was scant. While there were several panels this year focused on AI through art, music, storytelling, and risk warnings, only a handful featured crypto, and were hosted by the NCA, Solana Foundation, or Foundation Capital.

“The energy is different every single year,” said Tager, referring to SXSW.

Some mining companies also pivoting into AI infrastructure

Amid increasing BTC difficulty and related costs, some of the largest crypto miners in the US have announced plans to shift their business strategies from digital assets to AI and high-performance computing. For companies like Riot Platforms, CleanSpark, MARA Holdings, Core Scientific, Hut 8, and TeraWulf, that includes plans to repurpose some of their infrastructure in data centers toward AI.

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