Bitcoin breaks Strategy's STRC ex-dividend date slump for the first time in six months

Markets Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email Bitcoin breaks Strategy's STRC ex-dividend date slump for the first time in six months Bitcoin is seeing a short squeeze dynamic and steady U.S. demand to support gains. By James Van Straten | Edited by Jamie Crawley Apr 22, 2026, 3:37 p.m. Make preferred on BTCUSD (TradingView) What to know : Bitcoin is trading higher one week after the STRC ex dividend date for the first time in six months, breaking a pattern of post payout weakness. Bitcoin’s move higher is being driven by negative funding rates, triggering short covering, alongside a persistent Coinbase premium that signals continued spot demand from U.S. investors. Strategy’s (MSTR) perpetual preferred stock, STRC, is now one week past its April 15 ex-dividend date. With bitcoin BTC $ 79,296.86 now at $79,000 this marks the first time in six months that BTC has risen in the week following the payout event. At the time of the ex-dividend date, bitcoin was around $75,000, highlighting continued strength in BTC despite the typical post dividend adjustment in STRC. STRC over the past few months has served as an aggressive funding instrument for the company’s bitcoin purchases. Like most dividend paying securities, STRC declines on its ex-dividend date by approximately the value of the payout, since new buyers are no longer entitled to receive it. Following that drop, the shares tend to recover gradually, often taking about two weeks to move back toward their $100 par value. STRC is currently trading at $99.47. This recovery is important because once the stock returns to par, Strategy the largest publicly traded company holding bitcoin , can utilize its at the market (ATM) program, issuing new shares at and use the proceeds to buy additional bitcoin. Strategy shares are more than 9% higher on Wednesday at $178 at the time of writing, with the company likely tapping its common stock ATM program to fund additional bitcoin purchases. Strategy disclosed the third largest bitcoin purchase ever of 34,164 BTC , while the price initially stayed within its $75,000 range. However, the bitcoin rally appears driven in part by positioning. Perpetual futures funding rates remain negative, meaning short sellers are paying long positions to hold their trades, a signal that bearish sentiment still dominates. As prices rise in that environment, shorts are forced to close positions, creating a short squeeze that accelerates gains. At the same time, a persistent Coinbase premium , where bitcoin trades slightly higher on the U.S. exchange than offshore platforms, points to steady spot demand. Bitcoin News MicroStrategy More For You Bitcoin tops $79,000 as crypto rally gathers steam; Circle, Coinbase, Strategy lead By Krisztian Sandor | Edited by Sheldon Reback 16 minutes ago BTC pushed to an 11-week high with dynamics for a short squeeze building, one analyst noted. What to know : Bitcoin climbed above $79,000, its highest level since early February. Crypto stocks rallied, led by Strategy, Circle and Coinbase. Heavy short positioning could fuel further upside via a squeeze, K33 analyst said. Read full story Latest Crypto News Bitcoin tops $79,000 as crypto rally gathers steam; Circle, Coinbase, Strategy lead 16 minutes ago The London P2P sweep: UK FCA raids eight illegal peer-to-peer trading hubs 1 hour ago Crypto giant GSR launches its first ETF to give investors an easy way to bet on the big 3 tokens 1 hour ago HIVE, Keel push deeper into AI data centers with capital raise, asset sale 1 hour ago Tax-free bitcoin is back: How UK investors can avoid paying duty on crypto investments once more 1 hour ago CoinDesk 20 performance update: Aptos (APT) rises 5.5%, leading index higher 2 hours ago Top Stories Kraken filed 56 million crypto tax forms for 2025. One-third were below $1 3 hours ago Tron's Justin Sun sues Trump-linked World Liberty Financial over frozen assets 10 hours ago Another DeFi protocol loses millions in hack days after KelpDAO breach 8 hours ago Bitcoin tests $78,000 resistance as short-squeeze risks mount, altcoins rally 5 hours ago A make or break moment: why $79,200 could act as a launchpad or a ceiling for bitcoin 7 hours ago Lazarus Group has become especially dangerous with new Mach-O Man attack: CertiK 3 hours ago In this article BTC BTC $ 79,296.86 ◢ 4.56 %