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Strategy CEO Seeks More Preferred Stock to Fund Bitcoin Buys

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Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) treasury company Strategy will lean more heavily on its perpetual preferred stock program to finance additional Bitcoin purchases, moving away from a reliance on issuing common stock. CEO Phong Le outlined the pivot during Bloomberg’s The Close, explaining that the company intends to shift from equity capital to preferred capital as a core funding channel. The move centers on Stretch (STRC), Strategy’s perpetual preferred offering launched in July, which targets investors seeking steadier returns through an annual dividend north of 11%. The instrument has been positioned as an alternative to diluting the company’s stock while it continues to amass BTC holdings. The development comes as Strategy eyes a broader rollout of STRC later in the year, signaling a potential shift in how corporate treasuries wield equity-like instruments to grow crypto reserves.

Le emphasized that the preferred stock will “take some seasoning” and marketing before traders fully embrace the product, but he remained upbeat about STRC’s trajectory. He told The Close that, in the course of this year, Stretch could become a cornerstone offering for Strategy as it seeks to fund further Bitcoin acquisitions. The company’s financing strategy has repeatedly leaned on STRC to finance BTC purchases since its inception, providing a mechanism to accumulate digital assets without triggering immediate dilution of common equity. The approach is part of a broader class of crypto treasuries that use perpetual preferreds to balance income generation with asset accumulation.

STRC, which was introduced to market as Strategy’s fourth perpetual preferred instrument, was explicitly designed to appeal to buyers seeking long-term stability. It carries an annual dividend and is marketed as a capital-structure play rather than a plain equity raise. The instrument’s structure aims to deliver predictable income while enabling Strategy to keep building its Bitcoin stack. The narrative around STRC has fed into a wider discussion about how corporate treasuries are managing liquidity, risk, and exposure to crypto markets without immediately triggering shareholder dilution. Critics, however, have warned that the space has grown crowded and that some companies’ holdings now exceed their market capitalization, raising questions about concentration risk and governance.

Strategy could restart offerings as STRC hits $100

In late trading, STRC regained its par value of $100 for the first time since mid-January, a development Le described as the “story of the day.” The move back to par could unlock renewed appetite for STRC issuances, potentially enabling Strategy to fund additional Bitcoin purchases without issuing new common shares. Earlier this month, the stock traded under $94 when Bitcoin briefly slid below $60,000, underscoring how BTC price dynamics can influence the attractiveness of STRC as a funding mechanism. With Bitcoin trading roughly around $66,800, the market environment remains relatively constructive for asset accumulation through alternative financing vehicles, even as volatility lingers on near-term horizons.

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Bitcoin’s price trajectory has been steady but not spectacular in the immediate term, hovering around the mid-$66,000s after peaking above $68,000 intraday. The price backdrop supports narratives that corporate treasuries can pursue more disciplined, income-generating avenues for finance, while still chasing the long-term upside of BTC exposure. The evolving dynamics around STRC and similar instruments come as crypto returns and risk sentiment influence decisions across corporate balance sheets, with issuers seeking to optimize cost of capital and dilution concerns in parallel.

Buying Bitcoin treasury rivals a “distraction”

Analysts have cautioned that the crypto treasury space is becoming crowded as several firms vie for a relatively small pool of traders and investors. In a crowded market, some observers warn that corporate treasuries could face diminishing marginal value as more players announce similar funding structures. The fragmentation raises questions about price discovery, liquidity, and the true strategic value of perpetual preferreds in maintaining BTC accumulation over the long run.

Related: Saylor’s Strategy buys $90M in Bitcoin as price trades below cost basis

Beyond pure competition concerns, Le dismissed the notion that Strategy would pursue aggressive consolidation through acquisitions of underperforming peers. He argued that focusing on the core STRC product is preferable to pursuing opportunistic takeovers, likening the approach to other technology or finance markets where companies emphasize product development over opportunistic acquisitions. “In any new market, whether it be electric cars or AI or SaaS software, you want to focus on your core product,” Le said. “It would be a distraction to go buy, at a discount to net asset value, another digital asset treasury company.”

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As the wider market digests these developments, Strategy’s stock, traded as MSTR, closed down more than 5% at $126.14, reflecting a sentiment that remains cautious in the near term even as STRC gains traction. The price action underscores the delicate balance investors weigh between funded BTC accumulation and the potential dilution risk associated with new equity or preferred stock offerings. The discussion around STRC also feeds into broader debates about how corporate treasuries manage risk, yield, and the opportunity cost of capital when BTC becomes a strategic asset rather than a speculative instrument.

To contextualize the conversation, industry observers have pointed to a broader trend: as more companies adopt crypto treasuries, the market could see consolidation through mergers and acquisitions or more aggressive share-issuing strategies when faced with capital needs. Yet Strategy’s leadership seems intent on refining its preferred-stock route rather than chasing rapid expansion through bolder balance-sheet moves. The decision to prioritize a steady, dividend-bearing instrument aligns with a philosophy of measured growth and risk control, even as BTC remains a volatile, high-beta asset that can swing strategic outcomes in a single trading session.

In parallel, the crypto treasury sector has become a focal point for investors seeking visibility into how corporate treasuries navigate liquidity, risk, and regulatory constraints. Analysts suggest that while the category has matured in some respects, it remains a moving target shaped by Bitcoin’s price action, macroeconomic conditions, and evolving market structure. The emergence of streaming discussions around STRC and similar products indicates a willingness among issuers to experiment with bespoke capital-structure solutions as legitimate means of funding crypto purchases. The question remains: how durable will these instruments prove in different market regimes, and will investor demand stabilize as more issuers publish performance data and governance disclosures?

Why it matters

For investors, Strategy’s pivot toward preferred stock as a primary funding mechanism highlights a shift in how crypto treasuries can balance income with exposure to Bitcoin outright. The STRC instrument promises yield and stability, potentially reducing the pressure to issue more common stock and mitigate dilution. If STRC continues to perform and attract sufficient investor interest, Strategy could emerge as a case study for how treasuries combine traditional fixed-income features with crypto exposure to create a hybrid financing model.

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From a market perspective, the development reinforces the idea that institutional players are increasingly treating BTC as a fundamental corporate asset rather than a speculative risk. The use of perpetual preferreds could provide a template for other issuers seeking to augment BTC reserves without triggering immediate equity dilution. Yet the crowded nature of the space also invites closer scrutiny of governance, risk management, and the alignment of incentives between a company’s treasury activities and shareholder interests. The balance between discipline in funding and the pursuit of BTC upside remains a central tension, one that Strategy appears intent on navigating with caution and clarity.

For builders and researchers, the case raises questions about the transparency of crypto-treasury deals, the long-term performance of perpetual preferreds in crypto contexts, and how such instruments should be regulated as they gain traction in mainstream finance. The evolving narrative around STRC and related products could influence product design, disclosure standards, and investor education as more firms explore innovative capital-structure solutions to support digital-asset accumulation.

What to watch next

  • Progress in STRC marketing and adoption, including any new issuances or marketing milestones (dates to watch).
  • Bitcoin price movements and any corresponding shifts in Strategy’s BTC purchase cadence or balance-sheet disclosures.
  • Regulatory developments affecting corporate crypto treasuries and preferred-stock financings.
  • Q3 and Q4 earnings context for Strategy (or related entities) that could reflect changes in capital-raising strategies.
  • Market sentiment indicators for crypto treasuries, including liquidity and trading volumes for perpetual-preferred products.

Sources & verification

  • Bloomberg – Phong Le interview on The Close discussing Strategy’s move from equity capital to preferred capital and STRC’s role (YouTube link provided in original coverage).
  • Cointelegraph – Strategy raises $2B in preferred stock to back Bitcoin purchases (article detailing STRC launch and purpose).
  • Cointelegraph – Why Saylor’s Strategy keeps buying Bitcoin: Long-term investment rationale and treasury approach.
  • Cointelegraph – Saylor/Strategy buys $90M in Bitcoin as price trades below cost basis (context on BTC purchases and treasury activity).
  • Cointelegraph – Crypto treasury more merger/acquisition cycle mature (analysis of competitive dynamics in the treasury space).

What to watch next

Market development and official disclosures in the coming quarters will be critical to assess STRC’s effectiveness as a funding tool and Strategy’s broader strategy for growing its BTC holdings through preferred-stock issuances.

Risk & affiliate notice: Crypto assets are volatile and capital is at risk. This article may contain affiliate links. Read full disclosure

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Hundreds of developers competed in the Consensus Hong Kong 2026 hackathon

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Hundreds of developers competed in the Consensus Hong Kong 2026 hackathon

As the curtain falls on Consensus Hong Kong 2026, the focus has shifted from the corporate boardrooms to the show floor. While institutional talk dominated the main stages, nearly 1,000 developers spent the week in the trenches of the EasyA x Consensus Hackathon, signaling a definitive pivot in the industry: the “Year of the Application Layer.”

The competition, which has become a staple of Consensus by CoinDesk’s flagship events, saw over 30 projects pitch on demo day. The quality of builds, aided significantly by generative AI, clearly demonstrated that the barrier between a “proof of concept” and a “market-ready product” has effectively been removed.

A rising bar: From infrastructure to intent

The evolution of the developer talent at Consensus has grown gradually. In previous years, hackathon submissions were often deeply technical, building faster consensus mechanisms or niche scaling solutions that remained out of reach for the average user.

This year, however, the bar has been set to a new level. Developers have evolved into product builders, shifting their focus from the backend to the user.

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“The big thing that we’ve seen right now is that developers are actually building things that real people can actually use,” said Phil Kwok, co-founder of EasyA. “We’ve seen a big increase in the application layer. This is the year of the horse in Asia, but it’s the year of the application layer in blockchain.”

This shift toward User Experience (UX) was evident in the sophisticated use of “passkeys”, technologies from iOS and Android that allow users to log into Web3 apps without the friction of 24-word seed phrases, Kwok said. By removing these traditional “clicks” and barriers, developers are finally making products that feel like the apps people use every day.

The Winners’ Circle

The judges awarded top honors to projects that prioritized automation, security, and risk management, three pillars essential for the next wave of retail adoption, Kwok explained.

First place: FoundrAI ($2,500)

Taking the top spot was FoundrAI, an autonomous AI agent designed to act as a “startup in a box.” The platform doesn’t just launch tokens; it manages the entire lifecycle of a project, including hiring human developers to build out the product. It represents a provocative look at the future of decentralized labor.

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Second place: SentinelFi ($1,750)

Addressing the industry’s persistent “rug-pull” problem, SentinelFi provides real-time safety scores for crypto traders. By performing six-category on-chain analysis, the tool helps users sniff out scam tokens before they commit capital—a critical utility as token launch volumes explode.

Third Place: PumpStop ($1,000)

PumpStop rounded out the top three with a non-custodial trading layer focused on risk mitigation. Using state-channel instant execution, it allows traders to set stop-loss orders with on-chain proofs, bringing professional-grade trading tools to a decentralized environment without sacrificing custody.

The ‘show floor’ evolution

The growth of the hackathon reflects a broader shift in the Consensus ethos. Once a strictly corporate affair, the event has increasingly integrated the “builder” culture into its DNA. Dom Kwok, co-founder of EasyA, noted that the hackathon has moved from side rooms to the center of the show floor.

“Typically every hackathon that we host gets bigger and bigger,” Dom said. “It’s taking up more and more of the conference floor every year. We had someone flying in from San Diego just to see what was getting built.”

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Despite the “depressing” macro environment often reflected in token prices, the sentiment on the ground in Hong Kong remained stubbornly bullish. Organizers pointed out that while interest rates and Fed policy drive the charts, the builders are focused on the 93% of the world that doesn’t yet own crypto. The path to that next billion users, it seems, is being paved by developers who finally realize that usability is the ultimate feature, Dom said.

Phil and Dom said they can’t wait for Consensus Miami 2026 to see how much more the bar is raised and how many more developers participate with surprisingly great new ideas.

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Alameda moves another $15M in Solana as traders watch for market impact

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Alameda moves another $15M in Solana as traders watch for market impact - 1

Alameda Research’s bankruptcy estate has distributed another $15 million worth of Solana to creditors, extending a repayment process that has now been running for nearly two years.

Summary

  • Alameda Research’s bankruptcy estate distributed roughly $15.6 million in Solana to creditors in its latest monthly payout, extending a repayment process that has run for 21 months.
  • Despite ongoing distributions, Alameda still holds nearly $315 million worth of SOL on-chain, keeping traders alert to potential supply overhang risks.
  • Most of Alameda and FTX’s SOL was previously sold through OTC deals in 2024, with remaining distributions being handled gradually to limit market impact.

According to blockchain data highlighted by Arkham, the latest monthly tranche involved the transfer of roughly $15.60 million in Solana (SOL) to 25 separate addresses.

The movement forms part of a structured distribution program that has been ongoing for 21 months following the collapse of FTX and its trading arm, Alameda Research.

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Despite the steady outflows, Alameda’s on-chain wallets still hold approximately $314.95 million worth of SOL, keeping the estate among the largest known holders of the token tied to the defunct exchange empire.

Alameda moves another $15M in Solana as traders watch for market impact - 1
Alameda Research crypto holdings | Source: Arkham

Market impact questions resurface

The renewed transfers have reignited debate over whether these distributions ultimately translate into sell pressure on the open market.

Arkham raised the question directly, asking whether the newly distributed SOL would be “SOLd straight into the market,” a concern that has repeatedly surfaced during prior repayment rounds.

While the latest tranche is relatively modest compared to Alameda’s historical holdings, traders remain sensitive to any supply overhang tied to creditor payouts, particularly during periods of broader market volatility.

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Solana’s native token has been volatile in recent months, trading near the low-to-mid $80s to low $90s range after pulling back from higher levels seen in 2025.

Where Alameda’s SOL went

Additional context was provided by analyst Emmet Gallic, who traced the fate of the bulk of Alameda and FTX’s Solana holdings.

According to the analysis, roughly 43 million SOL was largely sold through over-the-counter deals across three major tranches in 2024, limiting direct market disruption.

Those sales included 26 million SOL at $64 to buyers such as Galaxy, Pantera, Jump, and Multicoin; 14 million SOL at $95 through a Pantera-led consortium; and a further 2 million SOL at $102 involving Figure Markets and Pantera.

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Since those OTC sales, remaining SOL distributions have been handled gradually, suggesting a continued effort to balance creditor repayments with market stability. Still, with more than $300 million in SOL left on-chain, Alameda-linked movements are likely to remain a point of close scrutiny for Solana traders in the months ahead.

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Why DOGE and XRP Holders Are Excited

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Why DOGE and XRP Holders Are Excited

As part of the strategy to turn X (formerly Twitter) into a “super app” or Everything App, a key missing piece, X Money, is beginning to take shape.

X aims to be more than a social media platform. Elon Musk wants to transform it into a personal finance game-changer. Users could handle messaging, shopping, and full personal asset management in one place.

Why Are Crypto Investors Excited About X Money?

During an xAI “All Hands” presentation in February 2026, Elon Musk revealed that X Money is already running in internal testing among X employees. A limited rollout to users is expected within the next one to two months.

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X Money has secured money transmitter licenses in more than 40 US states. It also established strategic partnerships with major payment giants such as Visa last year.

“For X Money, we actually had X Money live in closed beta within the company, and we expect in the next month or two to go to a limited external beta and then to go worldwide to all X users. And this is really intended to be the place where all the money is, the central source of all monetary transactions. So it’s really going to be a game-changer,” Elon Musk said.

Musk aims to push monthly active users past 600 million and ultimately reach 1 billion. Analysts compare this ambition to building an everything app similar to China’s WeChat.

As a result, X Money represents a major opportunity for any crypto project that accepts it as a payment method or is indirectly connected to the platform.

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However, X Money has never confirmed that crypto will be used as a payment option. Investors, meanwhile, continue to build their own narratives.

The first speculation centers on Dogecoin (DOGE). This meme coin closely aligns with Elon Musk’s personal brand. The theory stems from Musk’s past comments suggesting DOGE could be suitable for micropayments.

The second speculation involves XRP. This hypothesis is linked to Cross River Bank, a financial partner working with X to process payment flows. Since 2014, Cross River Bank has integrated Ripple’s protocol to enable real-time cross-border payments between the US and Western Europe.

Despite these narratives, DOGE and XRP prices showed no significant reaction to news of X Money’s upcoming launch.

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In the coming months, once X Money officially goes live as planned, its impact on crypto markets and the global financial system may become clearer.

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UK Launches Blockchain Digital Bond Pilot With HSBC Orion

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UK Launches Blockchain Digital Bond Pilot With HSBC Orion

The United Kingdom’s government has appointed HSBC’s tokenization platform to power a pilot issuance of digital government bonds, known as “gilts,” marking the latest step in its push to modernize sovereign debt markets using blockchain technology.

His Majesty’s Treasury has appointed HSBC Orion to facilitate the Digital Gilt Instrument (DIGIT) pilot issuance, according to a Thursday announcement.

The Treasury published a DIGIT pilot update in July 2025, outlining plans to explore blockchain applications in UK sovereign debt issuance and to support the development of domestic tokenization infrastructure.

“We want to attract investment and make the UK the best place to do business,” said Lucy Rigby, UK economic secretary to the Treasury, commenting on HSBC Orion’s DIGIT appointment. She added that the pilot will help the UK explore how to capitalize on the distributed ledger technology (DLT), enhance efficiency and reduce costs for businesses.

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Key objectives and features of the DIGIT pilot

The DIGIT pilot aims to enable digitally native, short-dated government bonds operating within the Digital Securities Sandbox (DSS).

The pilot is designed to support secondary market development and broader accessibility, with onchain settlement, while operating independently of the UK government’s main debt management program.

Source: Lucy Rigby

“This is exactly the kind of financial innovation we need to keep the UK at the forefront of global capital markets and I’m looking forward to working with HSBC and other parties to deliver DIGIT,” Rigby said.

HSBC has issued $3.5 billion in digital bonds globally

Since its launch in 2023, HSBC Orion has enabled the issuance of at least $3.5 billion in digitally native bonds globally, including the European Investment Bank’s first digital sterling bond and a multi-currency $1.3 billion-equivalent bond issued by the Hong Kong government.

“The UK is a home market for us and the sixth largest economy in the world,” said Patrick George, HSBC’s global head of markets and securities services. “HSBC is delighted to be supporting the continued development of the gilt market, market innovation, and the growth of the broader UK economy,” he added.

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HSBC Orion-facilitated digital bond issuance projects. Source: HSBC

Related: Malaysia’s central bank announces stablecoin, tokenization sandbox

Alongside appointing HSBC Orion as the platform provider for DIGIT, the UK government also appointed global law firm Ashurst to provide legal services for the pilot.

“Our team brings deep expertise in digital assets transactions, and we look forward to working with HSBC and supporting the government as it takes this transformative step for UK capital markets,” Ashurst’s head of digital assets, Etay Katz, said.

Magazine: How crypto laws changed in 2025 — and how they’ll change in 2026