Try Asset Administration is pushing again in opposition to MSCI’s newest proposal. The index supplier instructed eradicating corporations with bitcoin holdings over 50% of complete property from main fairness benchmarks.
In a letter to MSCI CEO Henry Fernandez, Try warned the plan may create uneven outcomes worldwide. Corporations report bitcoin in a different way underneath U.S. GAAP and IFRS accounting requirements. Try stated this might result in inconsistent outcomes for corporations with comparable publicity.
The Nasdaq-listed agency urged MSCI to depend on non-obligatory “ex-digital-asset treasury” index variants as a substitute of redefining eligibility for broad benchmarks. These customized indexes exist already for sectors like power and tobacco.
Try is the 14th-largest public company bitcoin holder, with greater than 7,500 BTC on its steadiness sheet. Its executives argued that the proposal would “depart from index neutrality” and requested MSCI to “let the market determine” how bitcoin-heavy corporations are handled.
Co-founded by Vivek Ramaswamy and Anson Frericks in 2022, Try has a mission to “depoliticize company America.”
MSCI’s ruling have an effect on on corporations like Try and Technique
The rule change may have an effect on main gamers like Technique, which holds 650,000 BTC. JPMorgan estimates MSCI’s exclusion may set off $2.8 billion in passive outflows from Technique alone. If different index suppliers observe swimsuit, the entire may rise to $8.8 billion.
Try’s letter criticized the 50% threshold as “unjustified, overbroad and unworkable.” Many bitcoin treasury corporations function actual companies.
These embody AI information facilities, structured finance, and cloud infrastructure. Miners similar to MARA, Riot, Hut 8, and CleanSpark are pivoting into renting extra energy and compute capability.
The agency drew comparisons to different industries. Indexes don’t exclude power corporations with massive oil reserves or gold miners whose worth is determined by metals. Making use of a bitcoin-specific rule, Try argued, imposes an funding judgment on benchmarks meant to stay impartial.
Executives additionally highlighted market volatility and accounting variations. Bitcoin’s value swings may push corporations out and in of eligibility from quarter to quarter. Derivatives or structured merchandise additional complicate publicity calculations.
Try warned that strict guidelines may push innovation overseas. U.S. markets could face penalties, whereas worldwide corporations profit from IFRS remedy. The agency believes the proposal could stifle new bitcoin-backed monetary merchandise.
MSCI plans to announce its resolution on January 15, 2026, earlier than the February index evaluation. Try is amongst a number of corporations lobbying in opposition to the proposal. Its argument facilities on equity, neutrality, and market selection somewhat than proscribing investor entry.
Final week, Technique’s Michael Saylor disputed MSCI index disputes and clarified that Technique is a publicly traded working firm with a $500 million software program enterprise and a treasury technique utilizing Bitcoin, not a fund, belief, or holding firm.
