Strive announced on September 16, 2025, that it had acquired MSTR True North Inc. in "a de minimis cash transaction"1. The same release named Jeff Walton, the company's founder, as chief executive of True North and chief risk officer of Strive. Jinse Finance reported the deal on September 16, 2025, adding a detail the GlobeNewswire release left out: Strive had disclosed holding 69 BTC and had launched a $450 million share offering to buy more2.
Four leadership moves at Strive on the record since 2025
Every move CryptoLately has verified there, by the day it became public
Moves: The Moves Ledger, CryptoLately's record of verified leadership moves, Oct. 3, 2016 to Oct. 2, 2026.
Read the chart as a table
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| May 7, 2025 | Cole became CEO. Matt Cole was named Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Strive |
| Sept. 15, 2025 | Rochard joined the board. Pierre Rochard joined the board of Strive |
| Sept. 16, 2025 | Walton became Chief Risk Officer. Jeff Walton was named Chief Risk Officer, Strive, and Chief Executive Officer, True North of Strive |
| Oct. 6, 2025 | Werkman became Chief Investment Officer. Ben Werkman was named Chief Investment Officer of Strive |
59 executive hires on the record in 2025, the most of any year
Executive hires CryptoLately has verified, by year; 2026 through Oct. 2, 2026
- 2025: 59
- 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2026
Moves: The Moves Ledger, CryptoLately's record of verified leadership moves, Oct. 3, 2016 to Oct. 2, 2026.
Read the chart as a table
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 11 |
| 2020 | 12 |
| 2021 | 27 |
| 2022 | 37 |
| 2023 | 20 |
| 2024 | 39 |
| 2025 | 59 |
| 2026 | 45 |
The move
Strive's release framed the deal as more than a hire. “This move cements Strive's position at the forefront of Bitcoin advocacy in the new frontier of Digital Capital and Digital Credit,” it said1. The release also kept one piece of True North in place. “True North member Ben Werkman will continue to serve on Strive's board of directors,” it said. Walton answered with his own verdict on the deal. “Joining forces with Strive is the most exciting and rational path to amplify the True North megaphone and accelerate sustainable market development. We're all in,” he said.
The release pointed to a practical gain, too: True North would be able "to leverage distribution channels previously built by Asset Entities"1.
True North before and after the deal
Before the acquisition, True North ran as an independent Bitcoin media platform built around its Investment Grade Bitcoin podcast, Strive's release said1. The release closed with a plug for the next episode. "True North returns next week with Episode 39 on September 24th," it said. Jinse Finance added financial context the Strive release skipped, reporting that the acquisition amount was undisclosed and that Strive had been expanding its Bitcoin holdings through a large share offering the same week2.
What came next
In September 2026, more than a year after the deal, Strive still described Walton by the title it gave him. Its resource center, read October 2, 2026, described Jeff Walton as "Chief Risk Officer at Strive and founder of True North" in a Bitcoin Magazine appearance from September 21, 20263. The same page quoted that appearance's claim that Strive was "on pace to double its Bitcoin holdings roughly every 12 weeks". True North itself kept publishing on the schedule its founder had promised. The resource center listed Episode 81 of the True North Podcast on September 30, 2026, 42 episodes past the Episode 39 the 2025 release had flagged as coming next.
Sources
- Strive, Inc., "Strive Announces Acquisition of MSTR True North Inc. Appoints Jeff Walton as Chief Risk Officer & CEO of True North," GlobeNewswire, September 16, 2025, https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/09/16/3150662/0/en/Strive-Announces-Acquisition-of-MSTR-True-North-Inc-Appoints-Jeff-Walton-as-Chief-Risk-Officer-CEO-of-True-North.html
- Jinse Finance, "Bitcoin treasury company Strive acquires Web3 media platform MSTR True North," Bitget, September 16, 2025, https://www.bitget.com/news/detail/12560604968679
- Strive, Inc., "Resource Center — Podcasts, Press & Commentary," strive.com, read October 2, 2026, https://strive.com/article/strive_appoints_ben_werkman_as_chief_investment_officer_to_advance_bitcoin_strategy