"Another big Strategy BTC buy" May 18, 2026
Monday, 18 May 2026 · 2 min read · Listen to the episode ↗
Strategy made its sixth-largest weekly Bitcoin purchase on record between May 11 and May 17, acquiring 24,869 BTC for roughly $2 billion at an average price just above $80,000 per coin, bringing total holdings to 843,738 BTC, or more than 4 percent of the 21 million coin supply cap. The buys were funded through at-the-market sales of MSTR common stock and STRC preferred stock, while the company separately agreed to repurchase $1.5 billion of its 2029 convertible notes.
Strategy purchased 24,869 Bitcoin between May 11 and May 17 for approximately $2 billion at an average price just above $80,000 per coin, marking the company's sixth-largest weekly purchase ever and its second-largest of 2026. Total holdings now stand at 843,738 BTC, representing more than 4 percent of Bitcoin's 21 million coin supply cap. The acquisition was funded through at-the-market sales of MSTR common stock and STRC preferred stock, with STRC carrying a 12 percent annualized dividend rate. Separately, Strategy agreed to repurchase $1.5 billion of its 2029 convertible notes. Donald Trump and his family disclosed first-quarter trades in Strategy shares around the time of the filing.
French Bitcoin treasury company Capital B, formerly the Blockchain Group before a July 2025 rebrand, acquired 192 BTC for roughly $15 million using proceeds from three capital increases totaling approximately $20 million, including about $1 million from an ATM-style agreement with French asset manager Tobam. Capital B's total holdings now stand at 3,135 BTC acquired for roughly $330 million at an average cost of $105,270 per coin, meaning its average entry price sits well above current market levels.
Standard Chartered projects $4 trillion in tokenized assets will be on-chain by end of 2028, split evenly between stablecoins and tokenized real-world assets. The bank identifies composability as the core advantage, enabling yield generation, collateral use, liquidity, and multi-protocol integration across DeFi rails. Standard Chartered views passage of the Clarity Act as a major near-term catalyst for that migration and characterized the DeFi sector as bent but not broken following recent exploits.
Iran-linked Fars news agency reported the launch of Hormuz Safe, a Bitcoin-settled marine insurance platform covering cargo shipments through the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, with coverage extending to vessel inspection, detention, and confiscation risks. Claims are paid in Bitcoin, Iran's economy ministry has reportedly been developing the plan since April, and potential tanker fees through the strait could reach up to $2 million per vessel depending on cargo volume.
Aeon raised $8 million in a pre-seed round to build a settlement layer for AI-to-AI financial transactions, with its first product connecting AI agents to more than 50 million real-world merchants. The company partnered with BNB Chain to enable verifiable on-chain settlement and immutable receipts within that ecosystem.
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