Bitcoin skeptic Peter Schiff isn't buying what Michael Saylor is selling—literally or figuratively. After the Strategy (MSTR) executive outlined an aggressive plan to accumulate as much Bitcoin (BTC) as possible and transform it into BTC-backed digital credit, Schiff renewed his criticism with characteristic bluntness.
Saylor's Grand Vision
Speaking at the Bitcoin MENA 2025 conference, Saylor made his case: "Bitcoin is digital capital," he argued, calling it pristine collateral now effectively endorsed by the U.S. government and major financial regulators under President Trump.
He pointed out that U.S. banks have started custodying BTC and issuing BTC-backed credit—a development he considers a global regulatory turning point given America's outsized influence on worldwide financial policy.
Strategy's ambition? "Buy all the Bitcoin sellers can sell," Saylor declared. The company aims to position itself as the first digital treasury that converts volatile digital capital into stable, yield-producing digital credit.
The logic goes like this: Bitcoin is long-duration and volatile, but credit provides predictable cash flow—something many investors actually want. Strategy has rolled out five credit products (STRK, STRF, STRD, STRE, STRC) designed as perpetual, high-yield, Bitcoin-backed instruments resembling preferred shares or bonds.
Schiff's Skepticism
Peter Schiff isn't having it. He dismissed Saylor's vision as fundamentally unrealistic, claiming it's impossible to eliminate Bitcoin's volatility while simultaneously guaranteeing a perpetual 10% yield.
Schiff also suggested that Bitcoin's political support stems not from sound fundamentals but from politicians "doing favors for those who helped get them elected."
The Bigger Picture
Saylor's core thesis is that Strategy creates "credit as a product"—not just corporate bonds issued for financing. Because Bitcoin appreciates over time (in his view), BTC-backed credit is fundamentally superior to credit backed by depreciating assets.
By issuing this credit, Strategy claims it can increase its BTC per share, essentially offering investors "leveraged Bitcoin equity" designed for long-term holders.
Saylor's ultimate vision? Bitcoin-backed credit forming a global free-market yield curve that outcompetes traditional money markets. He believes every major economy will eventually need Bitcoin treasury companies to repair broken savings systems.
Whether you find this brilliant or bonkers probably depends on where you stand on Bitcoin itself.