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Saylor Insists Strategy Holds ‘Real Bitcoin’ as Analysts Challenge Custody Transparency

Critics question untraceable balances at institutional custodians that do not use segregated addresses.

Overview

  • Michael Saylor reiterated that Strategy buys spot Bitcoin, audits its custodians, and does not allow rehypothecation, responding to social media scrutiny this week.
  • A Jan. 20–25 purchase of 2,932 BTC brought the company’s holdings to 712,647 BTC at an average acquisition cost of roughly $76,037 per coin.
  • On-chain trackers say around 415,000–420,000 BTC held at Coinbase and Anchorage are visible in segregated addresses, but a sizable remainder is not publicly traceable.
  • Analysts estimate more than 110,000 BTC are unaccounted for in public data and report that about 183,000 BTC at Fidelity Custody cannot be independently verified due to omnibus wallets.
  • Security researcher Jameson Lopp pressed for demonstrable proofs of ownership, and Saylor had not provided addresses or similar evidence at press time as the debate continued.