MSCI Halts Crypto Exclusion Plan, Sparking Relief Rally

From its Global Investable Market Indexes, MSCI has postponed the exclusion of "digital asset treasury companies" (DATCOs)—firms holding over 50% of their assets in cryptocurrencies. With the index provider instead selecting a thorough assessment on how to categorize non-operating firms, this reversal precedes the February 2026 review. At present, current therapies are unaltered so that MSCI can gather more information while DATCOs remain included.

The delay results from investor worries that only relying on asset-based criteria does not adequately distinguish between actual operating companies and purely investment vehicles. MSCI seeks more investigation to guarantee that its indices give operating performance top priority, compared to how businesses with large commodity holdings are treated. Without rushing into adjustments, this movement tackles the complexity of crypto treasury tactics.

Affected companies, especially MicroStrategy (now Strategy Inc.), the greatest corporate Bitcoin holder, which averted perhaps billions in passive fund outflows from indices such as MSCI USA, saw immediate beneficial impacts on their stock price after the news. Shares of MSTR climbed 6% in after-hours trading to $158–$167, therefore compensating for a 4% intraday decrease and alleviating strains resulting from prior analyst cautions. With Bitcoin seeing little gains amid lower worries of forced selling, broader crypto-linked stocks, like Bitmine Immersion, soared around 3.5%. Although the 50% barrier remains unaltered, further changes might follow the 6–9 month