MicroStrategy co-founder Michael Saylor is advocating for U.S. financial institutions to provide Bitcoin custody and lending services to their clients, while forecasting that the digital asset sector could expand into a $100 trillion market.
Saylor, who serves as chairman of the software firm Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) renowned for its massive Bitcoin acquisitions, outlined this strategy in a policy publication following his address at the Bitcoin Policy Institute’s Freedom Tech DC summit.
What Saylor Wants Banks to Do With Bitcoin
Saylor is urging banks to provide custody services by securely holding Bitcoin for clients, as well as to establish clear, feasible guidelines for issuing loans collateralized by the cryptocurrency.
He contends that international capital regulations are currently a barrier. Specifically, the Basel framework establishes global guidelines regarding the capital reserves banks must maintain against their holdings, assigning its highest-risk cryptocurrency category a 1,250% risk weight.
Pointing to that specific metric as evidence of overly punitive treatment, Saylor calls on regulators to distinctly separate three distinct practices:
- Holding Bitcoin for a client
- Lending against it, and
- Taking positions with a bank’s own money.
He anticipates that bank participation will serve as a primary catalyst for expansion, arguing that increased competition among banks for Bitcoin clientele would inject fresh capital into an asset characterized by a finite supply.
MicroStrategy tracks institutional adoption through its Bitcoin Banking Adoption Index, which recorded major-bank participation at 32% as of July.
Nonetheless, large financial institutions remain divided. JPMorgan Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon has publicly referred to Bitcoin as a “pet rock,” although Strategy Chief Executive Officer Phong Le asserts that Dimon privately supports it.
“The age of Digital Assets and Digital Intelligence needs a bill of digital rights, not a bill of restrictions,” he explained.
Where Saylor’s $100 Trillion Figure Comes From
Saylor connects his valuation target to the rise of artificial intelligence. He envisions AI agents—software programs capable of operating independently on behalf of individuals—handling research, negotiations, and purchases.
Such an economic framework requires a monetary medium capable of operating continuously at the speed of software, he argues, contrasting it with the contemporary financial apparatus, which relies on human verification and standard operating hours.
According to Saylor, Bitcoin and complementary digital assets are ideally suited for this environment. While he estimates the eventual market size could reach $100 trillion, he has not specified a timeframe for achieving this milestone.
Why Saylor Is Turning to Regulators, Not Congress
This advocacy arrives in the wake of a legislative setback. On September 15, the U.S. Senate rejected the CLARITY Act in a 49-50 vote, blocking the advancement of legislation designed to establish a regulatory framework for domestic cryptocurrency markets.
Saylor criticized the proposed legislation for being overly restrictive. He now believes that the most effective route forward over the next two years involves engaging directly with the SEC, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the Department of the Treasury, and the White House.
Under his proposed roadmap, the Treasury and banking authorities would formulate practical frameworks for Bitcoin custody and credit markets, while legislators concurrently work to draft alternative legislation to succeed the CLARITY Act.