Possible crypto asset sell-off: how MSCI's decision could impact the market

The most influential global index provider is preparing to take a step that could potentially trigger a mass sell-off of digital assets. The issue is that MSCI is proposing to review the inclusion criteria for companies in its benchmark market indices that can be invested in.

What exactly is changing and when

The new proposal involves excluding from the global index those companies whose share of cryptocurrency assets exceeds half of their total portfolio. Voting and approval of the rules are scheduled for January 15, 2026, with the implementation of changes possibly starting as early as February of the same year.

Scale of potential impact

According to financial analysts’ forecasts, such a move could cause approximately 39 public companies to divest digital assets worth from $10 to $15 billion just to remain in the index. The total market capitalization of these organizations is approximately $113 billion, with the greatest impact expected on Strategy (, formerly known as MicroStrategy), which accounts for about 74.5% of this amount.

The biggest risk for one company

JPMorgan experts have calculated the scale of fund outflows tracking MSCI. Their estimates suggest that Strategy itself could face a liquidity crisis of $2.8 billion due to the reorientation of investment fund portfolios.

How this could play out in practice

Some companies, aiming to maintain their position in the index, may preempt the official decision and voluntarily reduce their share of cryptocurrency assets to 50% or less. Such actions could provoke significant market sell-offs with a corresponding wave of volatility in Bitcoin and other digital assets.

Public opinion

Negative reactions to the proposal have already emerged: more than 1268 people have signed a petition against this decision. Critics point to the bias of such a policy towards digital assets as a class, considering it a discriminatory approach to the developing technology industry.