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$1.3 Billion IBIT Dark Pool Block Trade Draws Scrutiny After Strategy Bitcoin Sale Disclosure

$1.3 Billion IBIT Dark Pool Block Trade Draws Scrutiny After Strategy Bitcoin Sale Disclosure

According to Strategy’s filing, the company sold 32 Bitcoin for $2.5 million while expanding cash reserves and maintaining preferred stock dividends, as Bitcoin and MSTR shares weakened during continued ETF outflows.

BTC

Fact Check
The Strategy Inc. Form 8-K filed June 1, 2026 directly confirms each numeric component of the claim: 32 BTC sold, average sale price of $77,135, aggregate ~$2.5M, during the period May 26–31, 2026. Independent reporting by CoinDesk and Crypto Briefing corroborates the figures and the 'routine treasury move' framing.
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Summary

Strategy disclosed in a Monday filing that it sold 32 Bitcoin between May 26 and May 31 for $2.5 million at an average price of $77,135 per coin, marking only the second Bitcoin sale in its history. The company also sold 801,994 common shares over the same period, raising $128.3 million. The filing said Strategy’s U.S. dollar reserve, created on December 1, 2025 to support preferred stock dividends and debt interest, stood at $900 million as of May 31, 2026. Strategy said it would maintain an 11.50% annual dividend rate on its Variable Rate Series A Perpetual Stretch Preferred Stock, or STRC, for monthly periods starting on or after June 1, 2026, and outlined additional cash dividends for STRF, STRE, STRK, and STRD payable on June 30, 2026. The disclosure came as Bitcoin fell to its weakest level since January and spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded a 10th consecutive day of net outflows. Separately, an earlier social media claim linked the disclosure period to a $1.3 billion dark pool block trade in BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust, but no official evidence established a connection.

Terms & Concepts
  • IBIT: BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust, a spot Bitcoin fund that gives investors exposure to Bitcoin through traditional market infrastructure.
  • Dark pool: A private trading venue where large orders can be executed away from public exchanges to reduce market impact.
  • STRC: Strategy’s Variable Rate Series A Perpetual Stretch Preferred Stock, which the company said will continue to carry an 11.50% annual dividend rate for applicable monthly periods starting on or after June 1, 2026.