MicroStrategy’s $2 Billion Bitcoin Buy Is Largest Since 2020

(Bloomberg) -- MicroStrategy Inc. bought about 27,200 Bitcoin for around $2.03 billion, the largest purchase by the crypto hedge-fund proxy since just after it began acquiring the digital-asset more than four years ago.   

The enterprise software maker, whose corporate strategy now includes buying the cryptocurrency, bought the tokens between Oct. 31 and Nov. 10, according to a statement on Monday. It’s the largest amount of tokens purchased since the firm announced in December 2020 that it snapped up 29,646 Bitcoin. 

MicroStrategy co-funder and Chairman Michael Saylor decided to invest in Bitcoin in 2020 as a hedge against inflation. The firm initially used cash to make the purchases, and has shifted to using the proceeds from the issuance and sale of stock, as well as convertible debt sales to leverage its buying power. 

The strategy, along with the surge in the value of Bitcoin, has helped MicroStrategy to outperform every major US stock, including AI bellwether Nvidia Corp., since the middle of 2020. MicroStrategy’s stock has risen more than 2,300% since August 2020. Bitcoin is up around 630% during the same period. 

The latest purchase raised MicroStrategy’s Bitcoin holdings to around $23 billion, based on Monday’s record price of more than $82,600 for the digital currency. Bitcoin has received a boost from US President-elect Donald Trump’s embrace of the asset class. MicroStrategy is the largest publicly-traded corporate holder of Bitcoin besides BlackRock’s US exchange-traded fund. 

As of Nov. 10, the Tysons Corner, Virginia-based company, together with its subsidiaries, held about 279,420 Bitcoin, valued at an aggregate purchase price of approximately $11.9 billion and an average purchase price of around $42,692 per Bitcoin, inclusive of fees and expenses.

The firm’s shares jumped as much as 11% to $299.50 on Monday. That’s just below the all-time high reached in March 2000, when MicroStrategy was among one of the most popular stocks during the so-called Internet Bubble. 

Saylor was among three MicroStrategy executives that agreed in December 2000 to pay $11 million to settle US Securities and Exchange Commission fraud charges that they caused the company to inflate its financial results for 21 months.    

(Updates throughout the story to add details, prices, history)

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