Markets move past Maduro, MSCI & (Micro)Strategy drama

Today, MSCI announced it will retain Digital Asset Treasury (DAT) companies like Strategy (formerly known as MicroStrategy) within its global stock indices, for now.

However, the index provider also said it intends to embark on a "broader consultation" on how companies like Strategy, which hold non-operating assets such as cryptos, should be treated.

Here's how markets reacted:

• Strategy shares surged as much as 9.5% after the MSCI announcement in after-market hours

• Bitcoin initially raced towards $94,000, before paring gains.

Overall, markets have so far reacted with little fanfare so far.

The MSCI decision was highlighted as a key event to watch during our 2026 Bitcoin and Crypto Outlook livestream, held on Monday, January 5th:

Why this MSCI decision on Strategy matters?

If MSCI had decided to remove Strategy from the former's indexes, an estimated US$ 2.8 billion could have exited the latter, according to JPMorgan.

Furthermore, if Strategy were to subsequently struggle to meet its financial obligations, this poster-child for DATs may have to force sell its Bitcoin hoard worth about US$ 60 billion.

Forced-selling of Bitcions by Strategy and its fellow DATs may have heaped more downward pressures on BTC prices.

Such a risk has been dampened, for the time being, at least.

Post-Maduro Capture: S&P 500 hits new record high; Oil and Gold fall

As we entered the first full week of 2026, the world was stunned by the US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Although the weekend shocker is set to have longer-term geopolitical ramifications, major tradfi assets have been relatively unperturbed by the news since:

• The S&P 500 - the benchmark index measuring US stock markets - posted a new record high!

• Gold soared to $4500, before facing stern resistance at that big, round number to ease lower today (Wed, Jan 7)

A quick check in on our 3 assets to watch for this week (as listed in our Week Ahead Preview published last Friday, Jan 2nd):

• Brent Crude Oil (Bybit: UKOUSD)

We cited the prospects of Brent falling back below $60/bbl, if OPEC+ were to shock the world by resuming its production hikes (they chose not to rock the boat).

Instead, very few would have foreseen (and certainly not Maduro himself) the US-Venezuela political drama that pushed Brent to as high as $62.662 on Tuesday, Jan 6th.

However, at the time of writing on Wednesday, Jan 7th, Brent oil has tumbled back down towards the $60/bbl psychological level.

This price action follows US President Trump's announcement  just hours ago that Venezuela would relinquish some 30-50 million barrels of oil to the US, and will be sold at market price (worth about US$ 2.8 billion - not a huge amount).

• Nasdaq 100 index (Bybit: NAS100)

We cited the prospects of NAS100 moving back towards its record high. 

That 3% gap from its record high (at the time the article was published on Fri, Jan 2) was narrowed down to 2.3% after Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang buffering AI optimism when he said Nvidia "should have a very good year".

• BTC go back above $90k? Answer: yes ✅

(though Bitcoin didn't need to wait for Friday's US jobs report to clamber above that psychological price level)