MSCI Shelves Crypto-Exclusion Plan But Signals Wider Review

Michael Saylor gets to stay in the club — for now. Index provider MSCI shelved a controversial plan that could have ejected crypto-heavy firms like Strategy Inc. from major indexes, but signaled a broader crackdown may be coming.

In a statement Tuesday, MSCI said it would maintain current index treatment for so-called digital asset treasury companies, including those where crypto holdings exceed 50% of total assets. That means firms like Strategy — which owns over $60 billion in Bitcoin, representing roughly 99% of its enterprise value — will remain in MSCI’s global benchmarks, for now. However, the index provider announced plans to launch a “broader consultation” on how non-operating companies should be treated.