Viral Claim Accusing JPMorgan of Short Selling Collapses: SEC Filings Reveal Zero Short Position

• How Did the JPMorgan Short Selling Allegation Fall Apart?
• What Did JPMorgan Actually Do With MSTR?
• Why MSTR Isn’t the Next GameStop
• Institutions Double Down on Bitcoin ETFs Amid the Noise
• Key Takeaways for Investors
• FAQs

A viral narrative accusing JPMorgan of orchestrating a massive short squeeze on MSTR (MicroStrategy) has unraveled after SEC filings confirmed the bank held no short position. Despite social media frenzy comparing it to the GameStop saga, the truth was buried in publicly accessible documents. Meanwhile, institutions like Harvard and Abu Dhabi’s Al Warda quietly ramped up bitcoin ETF investments, signaling shifting institutional confidence. Here’s the full breakdown.

How Did the JPMorgan Short Selling Allegation Fall Apart?

In late November 2025, financial social media erupted with claims that JPMorgan was heavily shorting MSTR, sparking calls for a retail-driven "short squeeze" akin to GameStop’s 2021 rally. But the bank’s November 7 SEC filing (Form 13F-HR) revealed the opposite:. The document, publicly available, was ignored as misinformation spread. By November 25, the false narrative had gained traction, overshadowing the facts. The BTCC team notes, "This highlights how easily viral claims can distort market perceptions, even when data is transparent."

What Did JPMorgan Actually Do With MSTR?

JPMorgan’s Q3 2025 filings showed a 24.54% reduction in its MSTR stake (selling 772,453 shares) but no evidence of short selling. The bank also held:

• Call options on 202,200 shares (~$65M)
• Put options on 363,000 shares (~$117M)

While puts fueled speculation of a bearish bet, they represented just 0.00254% of JPMorgan’s $4.6T assets—standard hedging for a bank of its size. Unlike short selling, put options cap losses at the premium paid. Notably, FINRA reported 25.28M MSTR shares sold short (9.74% of float), butwas found. Compare this to GameStop’s 140% short interest in 2021, enabled by rehypothecation—a non-factor here.

Why MSTR Isn’t the Next GameStop

GameStop’s squeeze worked because:

• Low float (70M shares) allowed retail traders to dominate.
• Concentrated short positions in undercapitalized funds.

MSTR’s 259M-share float is nearly 4x larger, making retail-driven volatility unlikely. The 9.74% short interest is 14x lower than GameStop’s peak. "This was never a repeat setup," says a BTCC analyst. "The narrative relied on misread data."

Institutions Double Down on Bitcoin ETFs Amid the Noise

While the MSTR drama unfolded, institutional players quietly boosted Bitcoin exposure:

Harvard’s IBIT stake now exceeds its holdings in Microsoft, Amazon, or Nvidia. U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs have seen $60.8B inflows since January 2024 (per CoinMarketCap).

Key Takeaways for Investors

1.: SEC filings are public—cross-check viral claims.
2.: Puts are limited-risk hedges, not infinite-loss bets.
3.despite crypto’s "wild west" reputation.