Bitcoin Sell-Off Begins as Miners Sell Over 15,000 BTC in Q1 2026

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After aggressively accumulating Bitcoin over the past two years, several public companies are now reversing course. With BTC hovering around $66K and prolonged price weakness weighing on balance sheets, firms, especially mining companies, are increasingly offloading holdings to stay liquid.

Riot Platforms Sold 3,778 BTC in Q1 2026

As per the latest report, Riot Platforms sold 3,778 BTC in Q1 2026, generating nearly $289.5 million in proceeds. Its total holdings stood at 15,680 BTC at the end of the quarter. 

Despite improving efficiency and expanding its hash rate, Riot is clearly prioritizing liquidity over long-term accumulation. That said, it still holds a sizable BTC reserve and continues to scale its Texas operations, indicating this is more of a strategic adjustment than a full exit.

Notably, several other publicly traded mining firms have also offloaded more than 15,000 BTC combined during the same period.

Also Read : When Will the Next Crypto Bull Run Begin? Key Timelines to Watch

Companies Selling Bitcoin in 2026

• Empery Digital sold 370 BTC for $24.7 million, mainly to repay debt and unlock collateral. Once holding nearly 4,000 BTC, its reserves are now below 3,000.

• Genius Group completely exited its position, selling its last 84 BTC to clear $8.5 million in debt. The firm has hinted it may return once market conditions improve.

• MARA Holdings Sold $1.1B worth (~15,000+ BTC) in March 2026 for debt buybacks; holds ~53K BTC but is open to more sales.

• Cango offloaded 4,451 BTC, around 60% of its holdings, to manage debt.

• Bitdeer Technologies liquidated its entire treasury (943-2,029 BTC) by February 2026 to fund AI data centers. 

• Core Scientific Sold 1,900 BTC ($175M) in January 2026; plans to monetize most holdings for AI expansion.

Corporate Accumulation Remains Strong

Metaplanet acquired 5,075 BTC in Q1 2026 for $405.48 million at an average price of ~$79,898 per coin, achieving a BTC yield of 2.8% year-to-date. As of March 31, 2026, it holds 40,177 BTC acquired for approximately $4.18 billion at an average cost of ~$104,106 per bitcoin. 

Meanwhile, Strategy continued its aggressive accumulation, purchasing an estimated 75,000–90,000 BTC during the quarter. This brings its total holdings to roughly 761,000–762,000 BTC by the end of Q1 2026.