One Bitcoin treasury just hit 20,000 BTC, but rapid share dilution meant investors ended up owning less of it

Strive, the Bitcoin treasury company, reached 20,000 BTC last week, but the amount it held per effective common share moved in the opposite direction.

The per-share measure matters because a growing Bitcoin balance does not automatically improve the ratio for shareholders when the common-share count is also rising.

Strive bought 79 BTC from July 20 through July 24 at an average price of about $65,723 per coin, including fees and expenses, according to a July 27 SEC filing. The purchase lifted its holdings from 19,921 BTC to 20,000 BTC.

During the same week, Strive’s Effective Common Shares Outstanding rose by 430,000, from 83,669,973 to 84,099,973. The company defines the measure as its Class A and Class B common shares combined. Class A increased by 437,477 shares, while Class B declined by 7,477.

Share growth outpaced the Bitcoin purchase

Based on those figures, Strive’s BTC held per effective common share fell from about 23,809 satoshis on July 17 to 23,781 satoshis on July 24. A satoshi is the smallest unit of Bitcoin. The change amounts to a decline of approximately 0.12%.

Strive also reports Assumed Fully Diluted Shares Outstanding. Using the totals published for that denominator, BTC per assumed fully diluted share declined by about 0.10%.

That second measure comes with an arithmetic inconsistency. Strive says it includes effective common shares, options, and unvested restricted stock units, while excluding 26,596,510 shares underlying traditional warrants. However, the July 17 total is 16,163 shares below the sum of the listed components for that date. Strive did not explain the difference. The effective-share calculation itself reconciles directly to the two common-stock classes.

The company also did not disclose what caused the net 430,000 increase in Effective Common Shares Outstanding or connect proceeds from additional shares to the 79-BTC purchase.

Its reported cash movement does not answer the funding question. The average purchase price implies that the 79 BTC cost about $5.192 million, while cash and cash equivalents fell by $3.4 million during the week. The cash balance alone therefore does not explain how the acquisition was financed.

Crossing 20,000 BTC expanded Strive’s treasury in absolute terms. On its filed Effective Common Shares Outstanding measure, however, the week’s activity left slightly less Bitcoin per share, with no disclosed link showing that the additional shares paid for the purchase.