Microsoft Shareholders Reject Bitcoin Treasury Proposal Despite Saylor’s Advocacy
Microsoft (MSFT) shareholders have voted against a proposal to explore investing in bitcoin (BTC), signaling the tech giant won’t be joining the growing list of corporations holding the cryptocurrency anytime soon.
The proposal, titled “Assessment of Investing in Bitcoin,” was introduced by the National Center for Public Policy Research. It recommended Microsoft allocate 1% of its $78.4 billion in cash and marketable securities—per Bloomberg data—into bitcoin as a hedge against inflation. However, the board of directors had urged shareholders to reject the proposal ahead of the vote.
The decision, announced during Microsoft’s annual meeting, came as no surprise, despite efforts by MicroStrategy Executive Chairman Michael Saylor to sway shareholders. Saylor delivered a brief, three-minute presentation highlighting the potential benefits of bitcoin as a corporate asset.
Saylor, whose company MicroStrategy has seen its stock price skyrocket by as much as 2,500% since adopting bitcoin as a treasury strategy, argued that Microsoft had missed out on $200 billion in capital by favoring dividends and stock buybacks over cryptocurrency investments.
Nonetheless, Microsoft’s board maintained its stance against the proposal, citing bitcoin’s volatility and the company’s focus on stable, predictable investments to mitigate risk.
Following the announcement, Microsoft shares traded at $446, remaining flat for the day. Meanwhile, bitcoin prices, already under pressure, fell further, declining 4% in the past 24 hours to $95,700.
