Strategy Aims to Be Bitcoin Bank While Blockchain Remains User-Controlled

Strategy, the company formerly known as MicroStrategy, has set its sights on becoming the world's Bitcoin bank. Michael Saylor reiterated this objective on November 6.

Also on November 6, an on-chain researcher demonstrated that the entire Bitcoin blockchain can still be stored on a single 1-terabyte drive. This capability allows everyday users to verify the network on their own, without needing a financial intermediary.

Strategy Outlines Bitcoin Bank Plan at Money20/20

At the Money20/20 fintech conference, Strategy CEO Phong Le presented the company's plan. He talked about Bitcoin as digital capital, the firm's STRC preferred stock, and how traditional and decentralized finance are converging.

Le indicated that Strategy has transformed from an enterprise software company to an entity holding 845,000 BTC.

I joined @teresagoody at @Money2020 to discuss Bitcoin as Digital Capital, $STRC, the convergence of TradFi and DeFi, and Strategy’s vision to become the Bitcoin bank of the world.

01:15 – Strategy’s evolution: from enterprise software to 845,000 BTC
02:17 – The next 2–5 years:… pic.twitter.com/Jf9EG0URRi

— Phong Le (@phongle) November 6, 2026

Shortly thereafter, Saylor reposted Le's interview on X.

The world needs a Bitcoin bank. We’re building it.

— Michael Saylor (@saylor) November 6, 2026

This concept is nothing new. Back in September, Saylor had already called on banks to hold Bitcoin and offer loans against it.

Full Bitcoin Blockchain Remains on One Drive, for Now

On the same day, an on-chain researcher published the blockchain's size for each year. The data showed growth from 0.3 GB in 2011 to 780 GB in 2026. Consequently, anyone with a 1-terabyte drive can still operate a full node, which is central to Bitcoin's self-custody concept.

⚖️ Bitcoin blockchain size by year:

2011: 0.3 GB
2012: 3.6 GB
2013: 13.5 GB
2014: 29 GB
2015: 53 GB
2016: 95 GB
2017: 149 GB
2018: 197 GB
2019: 255 GB
2020: 319 GB
2021: 382 GB
2022: 445 GB
2023: 543 GB
2024: 635 GB
2025: 720 GB
2026: 780 GB

17 years of global…

— Zeeme ⚡ | On-Chain Research (@0x_zeeme) November 6, 2026

Bitcoin Knots developer Luke Dashjr responded, saying "16 GB/year is the cap for now." The on-chain researcher contested that claim. According to the researcher, the blockchain expanded at about 85 GB per year between July and September 2026.

"Even the old 1 MB limit gave ~52 GB/year, so 16 GB/yr isn’t a cap on anything," the post continued.

Dashjr has consistently advocated for smaller blocks to allow home users to maintain nodes. In September, he advised a supporter of his fork to obtain a real computer after the individual's Raspberry Pi required a resync.

One user went as far as proposing to delete all blockchain data prior to 2020.

In the meantime, Strategy continues development of its Bitcoin bank from a financial perspective, with its 12% dividend stock recovering from its June trough.

Nevertheless, the disagreement over blockchain data indicates that many users prefer to manage their own bank. Earlier this year, this same conflict prompted Knots supporters to allege that the network was under attack.