Michael Saylor, the co-founder of MicroStrategy Inc., engaged in a series of share sales leading up to the recent approval by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of exchange-traded funds directly investing in Bitcoin.

MicroStrategy Sells MSTR Just Before ETF Approval

According to data compiled by Bloomberg, Saylor sold between 3,882 and 5,000 shares on specific days from January 2 to January 10, coinciding with the SEC’s announcement. The transactions are estimated to have yielded Saylor over $20 million, marking the first instance of him selling company shares in nearly 12 years. This development comes as the company already sold $216 million worth of MSTR stock last week.

A spokesperson for MicroStrategy has verified the recent share sales by Michael Saylor, clarifying that these transactions are part of a pre-existing plan disclosed in a filing last year. The spokesperson emphasized that these sales are unrelated to the recent approvals of Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The planned sales, involving up to 5,000 shares daily, are scheduled between January 2, 2024, and April 26, 2024, with the intention of selling a total of as much as 400,000 shares during this period.

MicroStrategy, a leading business intelligence firm with substantial Bitcoin holdings, weathered significant losses during the previous crypto winter. The company had to undertake substantial write-offs due to the market downturn at that time.

However, in a remarkable turn of events, MicroStrategy’s current Bitcoin holdings have surged in value to approximately $8.3 billion. This represents a notable paper gain of around 40%, underscoring the company’s resilience and recovery in the crypto market.

MSTR Stock Under Pressure

MicroStrategy, a prominent player in the business intelligence sector, has witnessed a 23% decline in its stock since the beginning of the year. The drop is attributed, in part, to concerns arising from the debut of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that could potentially diminish the appeal of the company’s shares as investments.

MicroStrategy, headquartered in Tysons Corner, Va., has long been regarded as a proxy for Bitcoin, given its substantial holdings of the cryptocurrency on its balance sheet for several years. Prior to the recent approval of a dozen spot Bitcoin ETFs by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), MicroStrategy was a primary avenue for investors seeking indirect exposure to Bitcoin. The emergence of alternative options through ETFs has introduced new dynamics to the market.

However, MicroStrategy chief Michael Saylor stated that the spot Bitcoin ETF launch won’t negatively impact the MicroStrategy stock price.