Vivek Ramaswamy's Strive Inc. and Its Bitcoin Treasury Explained

Strive Inc. has piled up 43,000 bitcoin after adding 6,182 coins between Oct. 17 and Oct. 23, pushing the company's digital-asset holdings past $1.2 billion even as its stock has collapsed and its founder insists he's merely a shareholder. Vivek Ramaswamy co-founded the company in 2022 and has downplayed his current role, but regulatory filings paint a different picture of who actually controls it.

A Bitcoin Buying Spree Funded by Risky Debt

Strive's bitcoin stash has exploded this year, rising from roughly 12,800 BTC earlier in 2026 to 36,818 BTC by mid-October and now to 43,000 BTC, according to Crypto Briefing. October's buying alone cost roughly $335 million, with Strive paying between $82,000 and $84,500 per coin, the outlet reported. The latest purchase, detailed by The Block, moves Strive closer to CEO Matt Cole's long-stated goal of becoming the second-largest public bitcoin holder by year's end — though the firm currently sits in fourth place behind Strategy, Metaplanet and Twenty One.

To fund the buying, Strive closed an offering of 7 million SATS preferred shares on Oct. 20, raising roughly $630 million before expenses, the same report notes. Those shares pay a 15% annual dividend, and the company has also set up an at-the-market program allowing it to sell up to $1 billion more of the preferred stock, with proceeds earmarked for general corporate purposes including additional bitcoin purchases. Strive has said integrating bitcoin into standard portfolios would hedge against risks it expects to persist for years, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.