Strategy’s Michael Saylor targets $15-30T for Bitcoin-backed credit instruments

Michael Saylor has never been accused of thinking small. The Strategy executive chairman now wants to channel between $15 trillion and $30 trillion of global credit into Bitcoin-backed instruments, a figure that would represent roughly 5% to 10% of the entire global credit market, estimated at around $300 trillion.

The vehicle for this ambition is STRC, short for Strategy Variable Rate Perpetual Stretch Preferred Shares Series A. It offers a variable annualized dividend of 11.5%, paid monthly, and trades near its $100 par value. The product is backed by Strategy’s enormous Bitcoin treasury, which spans hundreds of thousands of coins.

The architecture of digital credit

The math works like this: for every dollar of digital capital (Bitcoin) held by Strategy, the company aims to generate 10 to 20 cents of credit. That leverage ratio of 10x to 20x is how you get from a Bitcoin treasury to a $15-30 trillion target.

STRC’s perpetual structure is a key design choice. Unlike traditional bonds with maturity dates, this instrument has no expiration. It sits there generating yield indefinitely, which makes it attractive to income-focused investors who normally wouldn’t touch crypto with a ten-foot pole.

The broader vision includes layering additional yield products on top of Bitcoin collateral. Saylor has outlined bank-account-style yield products targeting approximately 8% returns after bank fees, designed to pull in the kind of capital that currently sits in money market funds and investment-grade bonds.

Why traditional investors might actually care

The strategy is deliberately architected to strip away Bitcoin’s notorious volatility for yield-focused investors. Preferred shareholders get their dividend payments and downside protection, while the upside from Bitcoin price appreciation flows to common equity holders.

STRC incorporates tax advantages and enhanced liquidity compared to many alternative yield instruments. Being Nasdaq-listed means it’s accessible through standard brokerage accounts, removing the technical barriers that keep most fixed-income investors away from crypto exposure.

The product has been described as the fastest-growing credit product in the market, with billions raised from prior Bitcoin-backed instruments issued by Strategy.

Strategy World 2026 and Bitcoin 2026, both scheduled for early 2026, are the venues where Saylor has been detailing this “digital credit” framework. The keynotes laid out a roadmap for how Bitcoin-backed instruments could systematically absorb capital from conventional credit markets.

The reflexivity play, and its risks

There’s a feedback loop embedded in this strategy. As more credit products are built on Bitcoin collateral, demand for Bitcoin increases. As Bitcoin’s price rises, the collateral base grows, enabling more credit products.

The STRC dividend creates an obligation. Strategy needs to generate sufficient returns to cover that 11.5% yield to preferred shareholders, month after month, in perpetuity. If Bitcoin enters a prolonged downturn, the company could face situations where it needs to sell or refinance Bitcoin holdings to meet those obligations.

The underlying collateral remains Bitcoin, an asset that has historically experienced drawdowns exceeding 70% from peak to trough. Stripping volatility from the investor’s experience doesn’t strip it from the asset itself.