Bitcoin’s ‘biggest bull catalyst’ would be Saylor’s liquidation: Santiment founder

CoinTelegraph

by Ciaran Lyons

February 6, 2026

AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary

Bitcoin’s future could hinge on the potential liquidation of Michael Saylor’s company, Strategy, according to Maksim Balashevich, founder of Santiment, a cryptocurrency market sentiment platform. Balashevich suggests that if Strategy faces forced asset sales due to worsening market conditions or shareholder pressure, it would mark Bitcoin’s darkest hour but set the stage for a new bull run. He compares this scenario to the FTX collapse in 2022, which initially drove Bitcoin prices down but later triggered a rebound. Strategy currently holds approximately 3.7% of Bitcoin’s total supply, and while its debt doesn’t mature until late 2027 to 2032, Balashevich speculates that market downturns could force the company to sell or reduce holdings sooner. Balashevich also reflects on the broader crypto market trends, noting that Bitcoin prices reached an all-time high in October 2024 after a significant rally following President Trump’s inauguration. However, the market has since corrected, with Bitcoin dropping from $126,100 to around $70,000. He believes fear-driven events often signal market bottoms and speculates that prices may stabilize soon due to the current pain points in the market. As a crypto sentiment expert, Balashevich emphasizes the importance of psychological factors in shaping cryptocurrency markets. Santiment tracks social media trends across platforms like X, Facebook, and Discord to predict market movements. While he no longer manually scans forums, machine learning models now analyze sentiment data to identify emerging trends. Despite institutional interest and ETFs entering the market, Balashevich remains convinced that sentiment analysis is crucial for understanding crypto’s direction. For readers interested in crypto, this insight into how fear and sentiment drive market behavior highlights the importance of staying attuned to broader economic and psychological factors. Balashevich’s perspective underscores the cyclical nature of crypto markets, where extreme events—whether crashes or rebounds—often serve as turning points for investors. Understanding these dynamics can help traders navigate uncertainty and position themselves for potential gains in the next bull cycle.

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Originally published on CoinTelegraph on 2/6/2026