source: CoinDesk: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Crypto News and Price Data
2024. Dec. 03. 09:56
Michael Saylor's pitch to Microsoft's (MSFT) board on whether the software giant should add bitcoin to its balance sheet is unlikely to get shareholder approval, with <a href="https://polymarket.com/event/will-microsoft-shareholders-vote-for-bitcoin-investment?tid=1733211064555" target="_blank">Polymarket bettors</a> only giving an 11% chance of it being approved.
Each bet comprises a "Yes" and a "No" side. Each share pays out $1 in USDC, a stablecoin, or cryptocurrency that trades at par with the U.S. dollar, if the prediction comes true, and zero if not.
In October, a <a href="https://www.coindesk.com/business/2024/10/24/microsoft-urges-shareholders-to-vote-against-a-proposal-to-assess-bitcoin-as-a-diversification-investment-filing" target="_blank">proposal from the National Center for Public Policy Research</a> urged Microsoft to add bitcoin to its balance sheet as a diversification investment, but the board recommended shareholders vote against it, arguing that crypto lacked the stability to be part of the treasury of a company the size of MSFT.
Saylor, the executive chairman of Microstrategy (MSTR), which has seen its stock rocket up 455% year-to-date, <a href="https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2024/12/02/micro-strategy-added-15-4-k-bitcoin-for-1-5-b-taking-total-holdings-to-402-100-tokens" target="_blank">recently pitched</a> Microsoft's board on this issue, arguing bitcoin could act as a hedge against inflation and economic uncertainty, potentially boosting Microsoft’s $3.2 trillion market cap to over $8 trillion.
Microsoft's current treasury strategy, Saylor says, is weakening the company, as it has "surrendered" $200 billion in capital over five years through dividends and buybacks, which he argued could have been invested in Bitcoin, now up over 1,200% in that period.
One Polymarket bettor argued that there wasn't really a point for institutional investors to want Microsoft to add bitcoin to its balance sheet, because there are already so many options out there to get bitcoin exposure – which wasn't the case when Microstrategy originally bought.
"They're just making their value assessment more difficult by muddying up safe investments (MFST) with volatile ones (BTC)," <a href="https://polymarket.com/profile/0x79add3f87e377b0899b935472c07d2c3816ba9f1" target="_blank">trader Oxymirin wrote</a>, who holds a position on the 'no' side worth $2000.
Another bettor, who holds the opposite side of the trade, argued that given Microsoft's comfortable cash position, the company might buy a small amount of BTC.
"I think a small amount of funds will be allocated for testing. After all, shareholders' rights must be taken into consideration. Microsoft's cash position is sufficient. Microsoft offers some options for buying Bitcoin," a <a href="https://polymarket.com/profile/0xb7e5f664261d08262554a350fb45ae012d14b7b6" target="_blank">trader that goes by the handle of titanlin</a> wrote.
Microsoft is scheduled to hold its next shareholder meeting on December 10, where the motion will be voted on.