Bitcoin and Strategy Both Pull Back, Which One Is Better to Buy?

TradingKey - Recently, Bitcoin ( BTC) prices fell below the $60,000 level, and Strategy ( MSTR) stock price has also fallen to around $115, with both retreating to their February lows and seeing their values halved from last year's peaks. However, faced with these two simultaneously discounted assets, which one is the better buy?

What is the relationship between Bitcoin and MicroStrategy?

Bitcoin is the world's largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, while MicroStrategy (Strategy), ostensibly a traditional tech company selling enterprise analytics software, has now evolved into the largest and most aggressively managed "Bitcoin proxy stock" in global financial markets. According to Coinglass data, as of June 11, MicroStrategy holds 845,000 BTC, accounting for over 4% of the total circulating supply, ranking first globally.

Although MicroStrategy is closely tied to Bitcoin, there are distinct differences between the two, as follows:

Why Buy Strategy Stocks

In the eyes of Wall Street, MSTR stock is essentially a leveraged Bitcoin voucher. When Bitcoin surges, MSTR's share price typically gains 1.5 to 2.5 times as much as Bitcoin, generating excess returns; this is likely the primary reason U.S. investors are so enthusiastic about MicroStrategy. However, when Bitcoin plunges, MSTR's decline often exceeds that of BTC.

The greatest appeal of MSTR is not simply its Bitcoin holdings, but its ability to "increase Bitcoin per share out of thin air." Founder Michael Saylor utilizes U.S. market rules to continuously issue debt for arbitrage and Bitcoin purchases, ensuring that the amount of Bitcoin backing each MSTR share continues to grow.

In addition to the above, compliance is another significant factor. Trillions of dollars in traditional global capital may be barred from opening accounts at crypto exchanges or even buying "Spot Bitcoin ETFs" due to internal risk controls, legal compliance, or custodial limitations. As a result, MSTR stock has become a crucial gateway for their exposure to Bitcoin.

Why Buy Bitcoin?

When purchasing Bitcoin, you are solely exposed to asset price volatility risk. However, buying MSTR introduces an additional gamble on whether Wall Street will continue to justify its high premium, making the risk of a potential sell-off stampede significantly higher for the individual stock.

While MicroStrategy’s convertible bonds are primarily long-dated and lack an immediate risk of a systemic debt crisis or mass liquidation, its core business profitability and highly leveraged structure remain vulnerable to credit downgrades or liquidation pressures during macroeconomic downturns or periods of elevated interest rates. In contrast, spot Bitcoin is a decentralized underlying asset, free from the unsystematic risks associated with corporate bankruptcy, share dilution, or management failures.

How to buy during this market sell-off?

Based on the above, Strategy stock entails higher potential risk and return than Bitcoin, making it more suitable for aggressive traders with extremely high risk tolerance who pursue alpha during market recoveries. That is to say, if you have a lower risk appetite and are wary of single-stock 'black swan' events, it is advisable to stay away from Strategy stock.

Naturally, investing is not an either-or proposition; you can opt for both Strategy and BTC. If you have a strong risk-bearing capacity, you might consider a larger allocation to Strategy stock and a smaller one to BTC, such as 60% Strategy and 40% BTC. If you are reluctant to assume excessive single-stock risk, you can adjust the weighting based on your preference, such as 80% BTC and 20% Strategy.