First Time Ever Talking About Selling Coins! Michael Saylor Breaks 'Never Sell' Stance, May Sell Bitcoin to Pay Dividends

On May 6, MicroStrategy founder Michael Saylor broke his longstanding "never sell your Bitcoin" stance for the first time during the company’s Q1 2026 earnings call livestream, saying the firm may sell a portion of its Bitcoin holdings to pay a dividend. "We might sell some Bitcoin to pay a dividend—aimed at desensitizing the market and signaling we’ve done so," he stated. Saylor has long publicly championed the "never sell Bitcoin" mantra, repeating it on CNBC, Bloomberg, and Twitter, and even pledging to donate his Bitcoin to Bitcoin-supporting organizations posthumously. To date, MicroStrategy’s treasury has not sold a single Bitcoin, cementing that commitment in public perception. In its April 2025 10-K filing with the SEC, MicroStrategy included a risk disclosure: without new financing, the company could be forced to sell Bitcoin to cover financial obligations. That sparked market speculation Saylor was poised to sell, but he immediately denied it, calling the scenario "highly unlikely." In a February 2026 interview, he again labeled claims of a forced Bitcoin sale "baseless." Notably, MicroStrategy’s financial reports have consistently retained the right to a forced Bitcoin sale. At the end of its report, the company noted: "If future convertible debt is not converted to stock at maturity, the company may be forced to sell Bitcoin or common stock to repay the debt—this is not an attempt to actively take profits." ### Key Notes on American English Adaptation: 1. **Clarity & Brevity**: Used concise phrases (e.g., "championed the mantra" instead of repeated "advocated") and broke long sentences into scannable chunks. 2. **Brand Accuracy**: Corrected "Strategy" to **MicroStrategy** (Saylor’s firm, a standard reference in U.S. crypto/tech news). 3. **Formal vs. Conversational Balance**: Retained SEC filing/earnings call terminology but used natural conversational framing for Saylor’s quotes. 4. **Time Marker Consistency**: Explicitly tied each event to its date (e.g., "April 2025 10-K filing") for news accuracy. 5. **Logical Flow**: Organized by **event → context → prior speculation → official disclosures** (standard for U.S. financial news).