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STRC’s Monthly Preferred Dividend Rises to 11.5% for March 2026

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Strategy chairman Michael Saylor used social media to announce a dividend adjustment at the Bitcoin treasury vehicle STRC. The company has raised the monthly distribution on STRC (EXCHANGE: STRC) to 11.50% for March 2026, up from 11.25%. STRC is a perpetual preferred stock with a variable yield that changes on a monthly basis, a design intended to balance income with trading dynamics around its $100 par value. The company’s update confirms that the payout remains monthly, with the next distribution scheduled for March 31 to shareholders of record. The move comes amid a broader pivot in Strategy’s financing approach and a continuing expansion of its Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) holdings.

The STRC update, published on the company’s own site, explains that the dividend rate is adjusted monthly to encourage trading activity around the par value and to help dampen price volatility. This mechanism is part of a broader strategy to rely more on preferred stock than common equity for BTC-related funding. The social post from Saylor aligns with Strategy’s stated direction and adds color to a year in which the company has increasingly leaned on structured finance instruments to support its Bitcoin purchases.

On the same subject, February marked a notable shift in Strategy’s funding approach. CEO Phong Le described a transition away from issuing common stock to fund Bitcoin acquisitions toward issuing more preferred shares. The company has argued that the stretch and associated perpetual preferreds have proven effective at raising capital, citing last year’s fundraising results as a proof point.

Le has highlighted the scale of STRC and perpetual issues in the market, noting that last year these instruments raised about $7 billion, representing roughly a third of the entire domestic preferred market. The company’s leadership has signaled that 2026 could see more of a structural emphasis on preferred capital as a means to fund ongoing Bitcoin accumulation while managing shareholder dilution and equity risk. In this context, the market has watched Strategy continue to accumulate BTC, even as Bitcoin’s price has swung lower amid a broader risk-off environment.

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In the meantime, Strategy has faced a tougher market backdrop. The price of Bitcoin itself has slipped significantly since October, and Strategy’s common stock has mirrored a broader downturn in crypto-related equities. The company’s stock, which tracks as a proxy for its Bitcoin holdings and management strategy, has retreated from the highs seen in late 2024 and has traded in a lower range in recent months. Data from Saylor Tracker shows Strategy’s aggregate Bitcoin purchases and the balance sheet moving forward, even as the stock’s price has come under pressure from a challenging macro and crypto market environment.

Looking at the larger picture,Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) has fallen by more than a quarter year-to-date, a factor that has weighed on public companies with substantial corporate treasuries. In parallel, the Bitwise Bitcoin Standard Corporations ETF (EXCHANGE: OWNB) has also declined, underscoring the broader drag on equities tied to crypto balance sheets. The latest data shows Strategy’s BTC holdings continuing to accumulate, even as near-term price movements complicate capital planning. Strategy’s trackers and public disclosures show a continued cadence of purchases and a growing balance sheet despite market headwinds.

From a performance perspective, Strategy has faced a grim year in the stock market. The company reported a net loss of $12.4 billion for Q4 2025, released in February, even as revenue rose modestly to about $123 million for the quarter. The earnings backdrop has weighed on investor sentiment, contributing to a broader decline in Strategy’s share price, which fell sharply from the record highs reached in late 2024. The stock hovered around $129.50 at the end of the week, well below its peak levels, highlighting the contrast between the company’s aggressive BTC accumulation and the market’s appraisal of its profitability trajectory. Within this landscape, the price of BTC remains a critical driver of Strategy’s fortunes, underscoring the sensitivity of a BTC-focused treasury model to macro and crypto volatility. The company’s long-running accumulation strategy has included notable milestones, such as the 100th BTC purchase and the expansion of its balance sheet to 717,722 BTC, a testament to the scale of its framing of corporate treasury capacity around Bitcoin.

As the market contends with volatility, Strategy’s approach highlights a broader industry trend: corporate treasuries in the crypto space increasingly lean on structured finance and preferred equity to finance continued accumulation, balancing the goal of owning more BTC with managing equity risk and investor expectations. The broader market environment—characterized by price swings in BTC and a wave of related financial instruments—continues to challenge traditional capital-raising methods, pushing some issuers to rethink balance-sheet financing in favor of instruments like STRC and other perpetual preferreds. The company’s ongoing BTC purchases, including the relatively recent tranches, underscore a willingness to endure short-term price pressures for the longer-term objective of building a sizable Bitcoin reserve. The evolution of Strategy’s capital stack—moving from common equity toward preferred capital—also raises questions about how such a shift will influence liquidity, dividend policy, and the eventual realization of BTC gains in the face of market cycles. The narrative surrounding STRC’s yield adjustments and the related financing strategy paints a picture of a company that remains deeply committed to Bitcoin accumulation, even as it navigates a period of volatile prices and mixed financial results.

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In a landscape where both crypto prices and the equities tied to corporate treasuries face headwinds, Strategy’s strategy remains closely watched by investors seeking exposure to Bitcoin through a corporate balance sheet. The company’s public communications, including updates to STRC’s dividend policy and its pivot toward preferred financing, signal a concerted effort to optimize capital structure while maintaining Bitcoin exposure. For market participants, the question remains how sustainable a perpetual preferred-based approach will be in delivering consistent returns to shareholders as BTC price and macro conditions evolve. The intersection of rising dividend yields, ongoing BTC purchases, and shifting financing sources will continue to shape the trajectory of Strategy and its peers in the crypto treasury space.

Why it matters

Strategy’s renewed emphasis on STRC’s elevated dividend rate and the ongoing shift toward preferred capital exposure matters because it reflects a practical adaptation to the realities of financing a BTC-heavy corporate treasury in a volatile market. By adjusting the monthly yield for STRC and maintaining a steady payout schedule, the company aims to offer income stability to investors while cycling through capital to acquire more BTC. This approach could influence the appetite for similar structures among other corporate treasuries seeking to scale Bitcoin holdings without diluting common equity, potentially shaping the broader landscape of crypto corporate finance.

For investors, the shift away from common stock toward preferred capital signals a potential change in risk and return profiles. Preferreds typically occupy a different position in the capital structure, often offering higher yields with a priority claim on assets and earnings relative to common shares. If Strategy can sustain its BTC accumulation while delivering consistent yields, it could attract institutional investors seeking exposure to Bitcoin through a structured instrument with a predictable income stream. However, the persistent price volatility of BTC and the performance of Strategy’s own equity remain critical inputs in assessing the risk-reward balance of this approach. The ongoing performance of Strategy’s BTC holdings, its Q4 2025 earnings, and the trajectory of its financing strategy will likely influence investor sentiment and the broader adoption of similar mechanisms in the crypto treasury space.

Ultimately, the interplay between BTC price movements, dividend policy, and the company’s financing choices will determine how STRC and other crypto treasury instruments fare over time. The market is watching whether the pivot to preferred capital can deliver a sustainable path to capital formation that supports Bitcoin accumulation while avoiding excessive dilution or cost of capital concerns. As Strategy continues to publish updates on its BTC purchases and balance sheet composition, observers will gauge whether this model can translate into durable value creation for shareholders in a sector still defining its long-term viability.

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What to watch next

  • Monitor STRC’s next monthly dividend adjustment and March 31 payout date for record holders.
  • Watch Strategy’s ongoing pivot toward preferred capital and any subsequent financing rounds or issuances.
  • Track BTC purchases and total holdings, including the 592 BTC purchase in the week of Feb. 16, to see if the pace of accumulation accelerates or slows.
  • Assess Strategy’s Q1 2026 results for any improvement in operating metrics alongside BTC balance sheet expansion.
  • Observe market reactions to STRC dividend changes and any European listings related to STRC ETP developments.

Sources & verification

  • STRC dividend rate and payout schedule confirmation on Strategy’s official Stretch page.
  • Saylor’s post on X (formerly Twitter) confirming the dividend adjustment.
  • Strategy’s February statement about shifting from common stock to preferred stock for BTC funding.
  • Strategy’s public disclosures of BTC purchases, including the 592 BTC purchase and total holdings of 717,722 BTC.
  • Q4 2025 results reporting a net loss of $12.4 billion and revenue of about $123 million.

Strategy’s evolving capital mix and ongoing BTC accumulation

Strategy’s leadership has publicly framed 2026 as a year of structural evolution, with STRC (EXCHANGE: STRC) and other perpetual preferred instruments playing a central role in capital formation. The company’s chairman, Michael Saylor, communicated through a social post that STRC’s dividend rate is being adjusted monthly, targeting an 11.50% yield for March 2026. This adjustment follows a formal update posted on Strategy’s Stretch site, which notes that the payout is aligned with a par value of $100 and that the rate changes are designed to encourage trading around that level while dampening volatility. The monthly cadence remains intact, providing a predictable income stream for holders and a predictable funding mechanism for ongoing BTC acquisitions.

The broader policy shift toward preferred capital aligns with remarks from Strategy’s leadership in February, when CEO Phong Le described the company’s decision to pivot away from common stock issuances as a primary funding source for Bitcoin purchases. As the company continues to accumulate BTC, the balance sheet now holds a substantial stake—717,722 BTC—reflecting a disciplined approach to building a corporate treasury anchored by the world’s leading cryptocurrency. The latest tranche, a 592 BTC purchase in the week of February 16, underscores the ongoing emphasis on scalable BTC accumulation even as market prices fluctuate, with the company’s decision to finance purchases through preferred stock helping to manage dilution concerns and investor expectations.

While the macro backdrop has pressured crypto and related equities, Strategy’s financing strategy highlights a broader industry shift toward asset-backed, income-generating structures that can sustain long-term BTC holdings. The company’s stock performance and the price actions of related instruments—including the Bitwise Bitcoin Standard Corporations ETF (EXCHANGE: OWNB), which is also down—reflect the challenging environment for investor sentiment around crypto corporate treasuries. Nevertheless, Strategy’s approach demonstrates a commitment to leveraging preferred income to support a growing Bitcoin reserve, an approach that could influence other corporate treasuries seeking scalable, income-generating financing alternatives as the crypto industry matures.

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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Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei Calls Out Big Tech and Washington Over AI Chip Exports to China

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Nexo Partners with Bakkt for US Crypto Exchange and Yield Programs

TLDR:

  • Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei warns financial interests are overriding national security in U.S. chip policy.
  • The Trump administration approved Nvidia H200 chip sales to China, drawing sharp criticism from Amodei at Davos.
  • Chinese labs are accused of using AI distillation attacks to steal and replicate American AI models at scale.
  • Chip smuggling networks worth hundreds of millions prove export restrictions are working, Amodei argues strongly.

Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, has publicly raised alarms over U.S. AI chip exports to China. He argues that financial interests are overriding national security concerns in Washington.

Speaking at Davos and in other forums, Amodei called out both Big Tech and the government for allowing chip sales to continue.

His warnings come as Chinese labs reportedly intensify efforts to acquire and replicate American AI technology.

Money Is Driving U.S. Chip Policy, Amodei Says

Amodei has been a vocal supporter of stricter export controls on advanced AI chips. He believes Congress broadly agrees with tighter restrictions, yet action has stalled. His explanation is straightforward: the financial stakes are too high for those opposing the controls.

The Trump administration recently approved the sale of Nvidia’s H200 chips to China. These chips are among the most powerful processors used in modern AI development.

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The U.S. collects a 25% cut from such sales, which critics say is short-term thinking.

Amodei drew a sharp analogy to make his point. In a post shared by @_Investinq on X, he was quoted asking: “Are we going to sell nuclear weapons to North Korea because that produces some profit for Boeing?” That comparison reflects how seriously he views the chip export issue.

Nvidia has argued that restricting sales is ineffective because China will eventually build its own chips. Amodei challenged that position directly.

He pointed out that China is still spending billions on smuggling networks to acquire American chips, which shows the embargo does work.

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China’s Efforts to Acquire AI Technology Go Beyond Chip Purchases

China’s AI labs have not limited themselves to buying chips through official or smuggled channels. Anthropic recently accused Chinese labs of running large-scale model extraction attacks on American AI systems. OpenAI raised the same concern just weeks earlier.

The technique used is called distillation, where a model is trained by repeatedly querying a more advanced system.

This allows bad actors to replicate AI capabilities without building them from scratch. It represents a serious and growing threat to American AI leadership.

Chip smuggling operations have also been well-documented. Authorities have uncovered processors hidden in prosthetic baby bumps and GPUs packed alongside live lobsters. These operations are reportedly worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

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There is now an open divide inside Silicon Valley over chip policy. Nvidia, led by Jensen Huang, is lobbying for continued open sales and has direct access to the White House.

On the other side, Anthropic, OpenAI, Microsoft, and Amazon are all pushing for tighter controls. Amodei has framed the debate simply: whoever controls the chips controls the future of artificial intelligence.

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Circle’s Q4 Revenue Skyrockets 77% as USDC Supply Nears $75 Billion

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Circle’s Q4 Revenue Skyrockets 77% as USDC Supply Nears $75 Billion


Circle generated $2.7 billion in FY25 revenue, posting 64% growth, as USDC adoption expanded globally.

Stablecoin issuer Circle reported sharp growth in USDC circulation and transaction activity in the fourth quarter of 2025, as revenue and operating profitability surged year-over-year.

USDC in circulation reached $75.3 billion at year-end, which is a 72% rise from a year earlier, while on-chain transaction volume climbed 247% to $11.9 trillion in Q4 alone.

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Circle Revenue Climbs

The company posted $770 million in total revenue and reserve income for the quarter ending December 31, 2025, a 77% increase compared to Q4 2024. Net income from continuing operations rose to $133 million, up $129 million year-over-year, while adjusted EBITDA jumped 412% to $167 million.

For the full fiscal year 2025, Circle recorded revenue and reserve income of $2.7 billion, which is a surge of 64% from 2024. However, the company reported a net loss of $70 million for the year, compared to net income of $157 million in FY24. The loss was primarily driven by $424 million in stock-based compensation tied to vesting conditions triggered by the company’s initial public offering.

Commenting on the financial results, Circle co-founder and CEO, Jeremy Allaire, said,

“USDC adoption continued to expand globally as more enterprises, developers, and public institutions integrated digital dollars into real-world payments, treasury, and onchain financial workflows. We saw strong engagement across our platform, meaningful progress toward launching Arc mainnet, continued growth in CPN TPV, and growing momentum for EURC and USYC.”

Beyond Financial Performance

Regarding its infrastructure and payments initiatives, Circle’s Arc public testnet launched with more than 100 participants across the banking, capital markets, digital assets, payments, and technology sectors.

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As of February 20, 2026, the testnet recorded nearly 100% uptime, half-second transaction finality, and a trailing 30-day daily average of 2.3 million transactions. Meanwhile, total transactions have surpassed 166 million since launch. The company said Arc remains on track for a mainnet launch this year.

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Additionally, Circle’s Payments Network expanded to 55 enrolled financial institutions, with 74 under eligibility review, and reported $5.7 billion in annualized transaction volume based on trailing 30-day activity. The company also cited partnerships with Visa, Intuit, the Government of Bermuda, and Polymarket, and confirmed conditional approval from the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to establish a national trust bank.

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PENDLE Targets $30 After 86% Crash: Is DeFi’s Only Yield Protocol Set for a 5,000% Comeback?

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Nexo Partners with Bakkt for US Crypto Exchange and Yield Programs

TLDR:

  • PENDLE has corrected 86% from its 2024 high of $7.53, with price now compressing near a key weekly demand zone.
  • Analyst CryptoPatel projects targets of $3, $5, $15, and $30, citing a potential 5,330% move from accumulation range.
  • The sPENDLE upgrade redirects 80% of protocol revenue to buybacks, creating roughly $32 million in annual buying pressure.
  • New products Boros and Citadels target funding rate derivatives and a $4.5 trillion Islamic finance market in 2026.

PENDLE, currently trading around $1.27, has drawn attention from crypto analysts after an 86% correction from its 2024 cycle high near $7.53.

The token operates as DeFi’s only yield tokenization protocol, splitting yield-bearing assets into Principal Tokens and Yield Tokens.

With a market cap of roughly $214 million against $3.44 billion in total value locked, some traders see an asymmetric setup forming on higher timeframe charts.

Technical Structure Points to Accumulation Phase

Price action on the weekly chart shows PENDLE compressing inside a multi-year descending channel since its 2024 peak.

The 0.786 Fibonacci retracement sits near $0.844, aligning with what analysts describe as a high-probability accumulation zone.

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Sell-side liquidity sweeps into this area have been absorbed, suggesting reduced selling pressure at current levels.

Crypto analyst CryptoPatel noted the setup on social media, pointing to a demand block between $0.84 and $0.60 as a key zone.

The analyst stated targets at $3, $5, $15, and $30, projecting a potential 1,684% to 5,330% move from the lower accumulation range.

The bullish structure holds as long as PENDLE stays above $0.60 on the weekly timeframe, with invalidation below $0.46.

Volatility contraction on the weekly chart is another factor analysts are watching. Historically, extended compression periods in crypto assets have preceded sharp directional moves.

A fractal comparison to a prior cycle shows PENDLE previously rallied 1,521% from a similar structure, though past performance does not guarantee future results.

Institutional activity adds context to the setup. Arthur Hayes reportedly accumulated $973,000 worth of PENDLE, while Binance Labs and Spartan Group are listed as investors in the project.

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Fundamentals and New Products Support Long-Term Case

PENDLE generates over $40 million in annual revenue from real trading activity, giving it a price-to-earnings ratio below 20x at current prices.

The protocol’s MC/TVL ratio stands at 0.06x, which analysts consider low relative to comparable DeFi infrastructure projects.

An 80% revenue buyback mechanism through sPENDLE creates roughly $32 million in annual buying pressure at current revenue levels.

The protocol is live on more than eight chains, with planned integration across Solana, TON, and Hyperliquid. Its new product, Boros, targets the funding rate derivatives market, which sees over $150 billion in daily volume.

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Early testing of Boros recorded $5.5 billion in notional volume and $730,000 in early revenue.

Another product, Citadels, targets institutional and Shariah-compliant users, opening access to a $4.5 trillion Islamic finance market.

As tokenized bonds and real-world asset treasuries expand on-chain, PENDLE’s yield trading infrastructure positions it within that growing sector.

The protocol also cut emissions by 30% alongside the sPENDLE upgrade, reducing token supply pressure going forward.

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Z Score of Bitcoin-to-Gold Ratio Signals ‘Major’ Rally Coming: Analyst

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Gold, Bitcoin Price, Samson Mow

Bitcoin (BTC) is relatively undervalued compared to gold and the global money supply, which could signal a price reversal, according to Samson Mow, the CEO of Bitcoin technology company Jan3.

“Bitcoin is about 24%-66% below its trend relative to gold’s market cap or global money supply, while gold is overextended,” Mow said in a Saturday post on X.

Gold futures for April delivery closed Friday at $5,247.90; Tokenized gold PAX Gold USD was trading at the time of writing at $5,404.14.

Mow also cited Bitcoin’s Z-score, a metric that tracks how close the price of BTC is to its historic average. A Z-score of 0 indicates that the price is in line with the average, while a Z-score above 0 indicates that the price is moving above average levels.

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Gold, Bitcoin Price, Samson Mow
The Z score of the Bitcoin-to-gold ratio. Source: TradingView

A score below 0 signals that the price is trading below the average. When the Z score of the Bitcoin-to-gold ratio drops below -2, Bitcoin has experienced “major” price rallies, Mow said. The Z score of the BTC-to-gold ratio is about -1.24 at the time of writing.

Data from TradingView shows that the metric dropped below -3 in November 2022, amid the collapse of crypto exchange FTX and the price of BTC rallied by over 150% over the next 12 months.

Gold, Bitcoin Price, Samson Mow

Earlier, a similar pattern played out during the Covid crash in March 2020, when the metric fell below -2 and Bitcoin reached a low of about $3,717. Bitcoin surged by over 300% in the following 12 months, and by November 2021, BTC reached what was then the all-time high of about $69,000. 

Related: Bitcoin traders eye Iran reactions as oil sparks US 5% inflation forecast

Bitcoin to crash to $50,000?

The analysis from Mow is a contrarian view to other analysts, who forecast more pain ahead for the crypto market and a further drop in Bitcoin prices due to investor uncertainty and geopolitical tensions. 

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The price of BTC may be headed toward $50,000, according to crypto market analysts, who say that price action may be mirroring the 2022 bear market.

Bitcoin fell by over 50% from peak to trough, to a low of $60,000, before staging a limited recovery to current levels of near $66,400 in the wake of this weekend’s developments in the Middle East.

Magazine: Bitcoin to see ‘one more big thrust’ to $150K, ETH pressure builds: Trade Secrets