Key Takeaways
- Michael Saylor’s $10 million Bitcoin claim sparks backlash.
- It comes as Strategy’s losses deepen as Bitcoin price slides.
- Whether Saylor will sell Bitcoin remains possible.
Michael Saylor, executive chairman of the Bitcoin-focused firm Strategy, is facing renewed criticism. He claimed that BTC would surge to $10 million “tomorrow” if people agreed with his views.
This comes even as his company’s Bitcoin holdings slide into multibillion-dollar unrealized losses and its share price continues to fall.
The comments, made in a recent video, have drawn sharp backlash online as tension between Saylor’s long-term Bitcoin thesis and the financial strain on Strategy’s balance sheet reaches boiling point.
Saylor Floats $10 Million Bitcoin Price Scenario
In the video, Saylor described Bitcoin’s price volatility as a feature rather than a flaw, arguing it benefits committed investors while deterring short-term participants.
“Volatility was a gift to the faithful,” Saylor said, adding that sharp price swings scare away “tourists” and those unwilling to commit time and effort to understanding Bitcoin.
Saylor went on to suggest that Bitcoin’s price was being held back by a lack of consensus.
“If people in the rest of the world knew what I know, and they understood and they agreed with me, Bitcoin would go to $10 million tomorrow,” he said.
He argued that such a move would ultimately harm long-term investors by eliminating years of opportunity to accumulate Bitcoin at lower prices.
“I want you to think about how you would feel and how your viewers would feel, because you would lose 20 years of stacking opportunity during which you get to buy it less than $10 million,” he said.
Adding: “The difference between $10 million and 100,000 that’s what you give up if the volatility goes away and people start to agree with you.”
Backlash Builds Online Over Comments
Saylor’s remarks triggered a wave of criticism on social media, where users questioned his logic and mindset as Bitcoin’s price continues to fall.
One post responded sarcastically: “If everyone knew what I knew and agreed with me about the value of something I own I’d be worth $10 trillion.”
Another compared Bitcoin to speculative bubbles of the past, writing: “Very sad for those that follow him. At least tulips are beautiful.”
Other critics focused on technical and economic concerns surrounding Bitcoin.
One user said Saylor ignored “non-competitive energy costs versus AI, halving destroying miner economics, and increasing centralization.”
Another called Saylor “the most insufferable person on the planet right now.”
Strategy’s Bitcoin Losses and Share Price Slide
The criticism comes as Strategy faces growing financial pressure from Bitcoin’s recent decline, even as the firm continues to buy.
Earlier this week, the company disclosed it had purchased 855 Bitcoins for approximately $75.3 million, paying an average price of $87,974 per coin, according to a regulatory filing.
Strategy now holds 713,502 Bitcoins, acquired for roughly $54.3 billion at an average cost of $76,052 per coin.
At recent prices near $70,800, those holdings are valued at about $50.5 billion, leaving the firm with more than $3.7 billion in unrealized losses.
Just months earlier, in October, Strategy’s Bitcoin position showed peak paper gains approaching $33 billion.
The company’s stock has also come under pressure.
Shares of Strategy fell around 3% on Wednesday and continued to fall in after-hours trading, with it now more than 70% below its July 2025 peak.
Will Saylor Ever Sell?
Questions over whether Strategy and Saylor will be forced to sell have reached fever pitch.
The scrutiny follows comments from Chief Executive Phong Le in November, who acknowledged that the company could be forced to sell Bitcoin if its shares were to trade below the value of its underlying holdings.
Michael Saylor also signaled there is a defined threshold under which the company would consider liquidating part of its holdings.
Saylor said Strategy would only contemplate selling Bitcoin or Bitcoin-linked instruments if its net asset value, or NAV, fell below 1, describing this as the sole condition that could force a sale.
As of the time of reporting, Strategy’s NAV sits at 1.14.
Kurt Robson is a London-based reporter at CCN, specialising in the fast-moving worlds of crypto and emerging technology. He began his career covering local news in Cornwall after graduating from Falmouth University with First Class Honours in Journalism. There, he cut his teeth on everything from council meetings to missing swans.
He quickly rose through the ranks to become a frontline journalist at several of the UK’s leading national newspapers. Over the years, he has interviewed musicians and celebrities, reported from courtrooms and crime scenes, and secured multiple front-page exclusives.
Following the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kurt shifted his focus to technology journalism—just ahead of the AI boom. With a natural curiosity and a trained eye for emerging trends, he has found a new rhythm in reporting on innovation.
At CCN, Kurt's work focuses on the cutting edge of crypto, blockchain, AI, and the evolving digital world. Drawing on his background in people-first reporting and his deep interest in disruptive tech, Kurt delivers stories that are insightful, entertaining, and human-centric.
