Strategy’s latest massive bitcoin purchase offers insight into its evolving funding model
A $1.18 billion preferred stock raise, roughly equivalent to 16,800 BTC, signals a shift away from common stock as dividend obligations top $1 billion.
By James Van Straten|Edited by Stephen Alpher Mar 17, 2026, 3:44 p.m.
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What to know:
- Issuance from Strategy's STRC preferred series reached $1.18 billion last week, far surpassing $396 million from common stock sales, marking the first time preferred stock has been the primary funding tool for bitcoin purchases.
- Annual dividend obligations now exceed $1 billion as the outstanding preferred stock surpasses $10 billion.
- With STRC trading below par post ex-dividend, the company may raise the dividend by 25 basis points to support pricing
Strategy (MSTR) has, for the first time last week, used its perpetual preferred stock as the primary vehicle to accumulate bitcoin, marking a potential shift in how the company funds its bitcoin strategy.
The company Monday announced it purchased 22,337 BTC in the preceding week, its fifth-largest acquisition on record.
Issuance through its STRC perpetual preferred stock was $1.18 billion, equivalent to roughly 16,800 BTC at the average price of $70,000, far exceeding the $396 million raised via its common stock at-the-market (ATM) program, which had historically been the primary tool used to build its bitcoin holdings, now totaling 761,068 BTC.
At STRC’s current 11.5% dividend rate, the $1.18 billion issuance implies roughly $135 million in annual dividend obligations. This has pushed the company’s total annual dividend burden above $1 billion.
That said, the company has set aside approximately $2.25 billion in USD reserves to fund these obligations, providing a buffer amid rising capital costs.
With the company's common stock down more than 70%, it appears incentivized to support a higher share price without further dilution.
As a result, common equity may be used more selectively, primarily when mNAV (multiple to net asset value) is meaningfully above 1 or when the company looks to build USD reserves. In practice, this suggests reduced reliance on common stock sales, while leaning more heavily on STRC, which avoids issuing new common shares.
Taken together, Strategy is increasingly funding bitcoin accumulation through its preferred capital base, with STRC now at the center of that approach.
Another dividend increase incoming?
STRC is showing early signs of pricing pressure. The preferred has now spent three consecutive days trading below its $100 par value following its March 15 ex-dividend date. With its one-month volume-weighted average price below par, the company may look to increase the dividend by a further 25 basis points to support the price.
Read More: The math behind Strategy’s path to 1 million bitcoin by the end of 2026
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