AltcoinBuzzAltcoinBuzz
Subscribe
  • Crypto News
  • Crypto Research
  • Technical Analysis
AltcoinBuzzAltcoinBuzz

An independent digital media outlet delivering crypto research, news, and technical analysis to a community of 600,000+ users.

Follow us on:

Discover

  • Crypto Research
  • Crypto News
  • Technical Analysis
  • Key Opinions
  • Upcoming Launches

Categories

  • Bitcoin BTC
  • RWA
  • Technology
  • Altcoins
  • Regulation

Company

  • Affiliates
  • Partners & Sponsors
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Terms of Use
  • Subscription Terms
  • About the ALTCOIN BUZZ
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact ALTCOIN BUZZ
  • Advertise with us

Copyright 2026 ALTCOIN BUZZ. All rights reserved.Something is buzzzzzzzing.
HomeCrypto Research3 Reasons MSTR Stock could rise even if Bitcoin stays flat
Crypto ResearchBitcoin BTC

3 Reasons MSTR Stock could rise even if Bitcoin stays flat

Strategy (MSTR) is rebounding toward $100 while Bitcoin remains near $64,000. Here's why analysts believe the stock could outperform BTC.

SSaloni Rathi•Aug 19, 2026
Strategy MSTR stock with Bitcoin treasury and market premium concept
MentionedBTC$64,457.00+0.50%

Strategy (NASDAQ: MSTR) is climbing back toward the $100 mark even as Bitcoin trades sideways near $64,000. The stock closed around $97.68 after a 5% rally, showing renewed strength despite little movement in its underlying asset.

That rebound is notable because MSTR has fallen much harder than Bitcoin this year. While BTC is down roughly 28% in 2026, Strategy has declined about 38%. Yet Wall Street analysts continue to rate the stock as a Strong Buy, suggesting investors are focusing on factors beyond Bitcoin's short-term price.

Here are the three biggest reasons the bullish case for MSTR remains intact.

MSTR Has Underperformed Bitcoin

Strategy was designed to behave like a leveraged Bitcoin investment. During strong crypto rallies, the stock has historically outperformed BTC because investors pay a premium for exposure to the company's massive Bitcoin treasury.

This year, however, the opposite happened. MSTR lost more value than Bitcoin, leaving many investors questioning whether the premium had disappeared for good.

The answer largely comes down to one metric: mNAV.

1. The mNAV Premium Could Recover

The biggest driver of Strategy's valuation is its modified Net Asset Value (mNAV), which measures how much investors are willing to pay above the value of the Bitcoin the company holds.

Strategy currently owns 840,447 BTC, worth roughly $54 billion at current prices. The company paid about $63 billion to accumulate those holdings, leaving the treasury approximately $9 billion underwater on paper.

More importantly, investor sentiment has compressed the valuation premium. The basic mNAV measure has fallen to around 0.7, meaning the common stock trades below the value of its Bitcoin holdings. Broader calculations that include preferred shares and convertible debt place the ratio closer to 1.05, which explains why different analysts quote different figures.

The opportunity is straightforward: if investor confidence returns and the premium expands toward previous levels near 1.5, MSTR could appreciate significantly even if Bitcoin remains flat.

Unlike Bitcoin's price, mNAV is driven by demand for Strategy shares rather than the cryptocurrency itself.

2. Strategy Has Shifted From Buying Bitcoin to Buying Back Stock

The second reason is the company's capital allocation strategy.

When MSTR traded at a large premium to its Bitcoin holdings, Strategy could issue new shares, purchase additional Bitcoin, and increase the amount of BTC backing each share. That model becomes less effective when the premium falls close to one.

As a result, Strategy has largely paused Bitcoin purchases. Its last reported acquisition came in mid-June, ending an aggressive accumulation streak that had defined the company for years.

Instead, management has been directing capital toward its STRC preferred shares, a dividend-paying security designed to trade near $100. By repurchasing shares below intrinsic value, the company can improve the Bitcoin exposure of remaining shareholders without adding another coin to its treasury.

For investors, that creates another path for shareholder value even during periods of flat Bitcoin prices.

3. The Technical Picture Shows Seller Exhaustion

The final reason comes from the chart.

Since late June, MSTR has been trading within a rising channel, consistently producing higher lows while Bitcoin has largely consolidated. Monday's 5% rally came after the stock bounced from support near $92, reinforcing the channel's structure.

Volume tells an equally important story.

Strategy Price Chart August 19

Trading activity has fallen by roughly 63% from June levels, suggesting aggressive selling has faded. At the same time, buying activity has gradually recovered to levels seen in July, pointing to improving demand rather than speculative mania.

This combination often reflects seller exhaustion, where declining selling pressure allows buyers to regain control of the trend.

Key Price Levels to Watch

The immediate battle is around the psychological $100 level.

A sustained break above that resistance would expose $101.96, followed by $104.73 and $108.26. Those levels represent the next technical hurdles within the current recovery.

The bigger bullish signal sits higher.

If MSTR can break above $118.46, the rising channel remains intact and the stock could target $134.95 and potentially $151.44 over time.

On the downside, support sits near $98.07 and $95.66. A daily close below $91.77 would invalidate the current bullish channel and weaken the recovery thesis.

What Happens Next for MSTR?

The bullish case for Strategy does not require Bitcoin to rally immediately, but it does depend on sentiment improving.

A recovery in the mNAV premium, continued shareholder-friendly capital allocation, and confirmation above the $100–118 resistance zone could allow MSTR to outperform Bitcoin even during a period of sideways BTC trading.

For now, the stock is testing whether investors are willing to value Strategy as more than just the Bitcoin it holds. If that premium returns, MSTR's next move may be driven as much by market sentiment as by Bitcoin itself.

The information discussed by Altcoin Buzz is not financial advice. This is for educational, entertainment, and informational purposes only. Any information or strategies are thoughts and opinions relevant to the accepted levels of risk tolerance of the writer/reviewers and their risk tolerance may be different than yours. We are not responsible for any losses that you may incur as a result of any investments directly or indirectly related to the information provided. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are high-risk investments so please do your due diligence. This post is sponsored by Market Across.

Copyright Altcoin Buzz Pte Ltd.

Related

Cardano ADA and Dijkstra hard fork upgrade roadmap for 2026
TechnologyAltcoins
Aug 18, 2026

Cardano Price After Dijkstra Hard Fork Plans: Can ADA Reclaim $0.18?

Cardano's Dijkstra hard fork roadmap targets major network upgrades through 2026 and 2027, while ADA remains below $0.18. Here's what comes next.

ADA
Anmol Billa
Solana Alpenglow upgrade targeting 100–150ms transaction finality
TechnologyAltcoins
Aug 17, 2026

Solana Alpenglow Upgrade: 150ms Finality and What It Means for SOL

Solana’s Alpenglow upgrade could dramatically improve network performance, targeting 100–150ms finality while moving validator voting off-chain. Here’s what the upgrade could mean for Solana and SOL.

SOL
Shitij Gupta
Variational Omni points program and reward tiers
Prediction Markets
Aug 17, 2026

How to maximize Variational points before the Q3 2026 deadline

Variational Omni points program rewards trading activity, referrals and higher tiers. Here's how users can maximize points before the program ends in Q3 2026.

Saloni Rathi
Hedgeye
Hedgeye
@Hedgeye
·Follow

BREAKING: Strategy, $MSTR’s enterprise mNAV closed below 1 for the first time in history. This means the market now values the company at less than the Bitcoin it holds.

Image
2:58 AM · Jun 28, 2026
544
Reply
Read 53 replies
Wu Blockchain
Wu Blockchain
@WuBlockchain
·Follow

Saylor: MSTR Investors Should Hold for at Least Four Years, Preferably Seven to 10, and Be Prepared for Difficult Years Strategy Executive Chairman Michael Saylor said MSTR investors should have at least a four-year time horizon, with seven to 10 years preferable, and should be Show more

Image
Image
7:53 PM · Aug 17, 2026
95
Reply
Read 22 replies
*Walter Bloomberg
*Walter Bloomberg
@DeItaone
·Follow

$MSTR - STRATEGY SELLS $334M STOCK, BUYS NO BITCOIN Strategy sold 3.46M shares, raising $333.7M through its ATM program last week. The company made no Bitcoin purchases, keeping holdings unchanged at 840,447 BTC, acquired for $63.36B at an average $75,385 per BTC. Strategy Show more

12:02 PM · Aug 17, 2026
442
Reply
Read 46 replies
CoinMarketCap
CoinMarketCap
@CoinMarketCap
·Follow

LATEST: ⚡ Michael Saylor says Strategy will not issue STRC below $100, with buybacks funded through MSTR share sales and, depending on market conditions, Bitcoin sales.

Image
Image
9:25 PM · Jul 27, 2026
304
Reply
Read 53 replies