Strive CEO Matt Cole said February 19 marked the bottom of ASST’s latest bear market, when external sentiment toward the company was deeply negative but internal conviction never wavered. He said executives and directors used their own money to buy ASST shares during the downturn, some left the board to join the firm full time, and a group of loyal shareholders also stuck with the company at its most difficult moment. Cole called the combination of long-term conviction, talent and team chemistry extremely rare and said the next six months of execution flow directly from that foundation. He reiterated that the Bitcoin bull market is only just beginning, that Strive has built a capital structure intended to amplify Bitcoin’s performance and is operating at full speed, and that the team remains fully committed. The comments extend his earlier view that Bitcoin’s bear phase has ended after a dual breakout against the U.S. dollar and gold, following a roughly 23% weekly surge above $77,000 and a reclaim of the 200-day moving average. Strive held 20,246 BTC at an average cost near $94,345, leaving a sizable unrealized loss even after the rebound.