Upexi's Index Milestone
Upexi Joins Russell Microcap Index, Bolstering Visibility for Solana Treasury Strategy
Anonymous
Key Points
1
Upexi holds over 2.17 million SOL, with valuations ranging roughly from $147 million to $158 million, making it one of the largest corporate Solana treasuries.
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Inclusion in the Russell Microcap Index is determined by the April 30, 2026 rank day and becomes effective at the market open on June 29, 2026 (membership persists until the next scheduled reconstitution).
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Upexi is described as one of the largest corporate holders of Solana, underscoring its stake-focused pivot to a Solana treasury strategy.
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Russell indexes underpin roughly $12.2 trillion in assets benchmarked to or invested in products based on the Russell US Indexes, highlighting the potential scale of passive inflows for newly included microcap stocks.
Upexi, Inc. (NASDAQ: UPXI) will join the Russell Microcap Index at the market open on June 29, making it one of the first Solana-focused treasury companies to enter a major U.S. equity index. The Nasdaq-listed firm now holds over 2.17 million SOL tokens — worth roughly $147 million to $158 million — after pivoting hard away from consumer products last year, according to Crypto Briefing.
CEO Allan Marshall called the inclusion "a meaningful milestone that reflects the growth and transformation of Upexi over the past year." The move forces index-tracking funds and ETFs to buy UPXI shares, opening the door to passive inflows from a universe of roughly $12.2 trillion in assets benchmarked to Russell US Indexes, Value the Markets reported.
From Pet Supplements to 2 Million Solana Tokens
Upexi once owned consumer brands like LuckyTail pet supplements and Moonwlkr cannabinoids. In early 2025, the board approved a sharp turn: use the company's Nasdaq listing to raise capital and buy Solana. By June 2026, it had accumulated 2,174,583 SOL tokens, making it one of the largest corporate Solana holders in the world, according to Tron Weekly.
The strategy mirrors what MicroStrategy did with Bitcoin — but with a higher-risk asset. Upexi stakes roughly 95% of its SOL to earn yield of about 7–9% annually. That staking income is treated as corporate revenue. The company raised its initial SOL stack with backing from GSR and 15 other digital asset venture capital firms, Crypto Briefing reported.
Russell Inclusion Triggers Mandatory Buying From Index Funds
Inclusion in the Russell Microcap Index is not optional for funds that track Russell benchmarks. Once effective June 29, those funds must hold UPXI shares. Russell's annual reconstitution is based on a company's market cap rank as of April 30 — called "rank day" — and membership lasts until the next reconstitution, Investing.com noted.
UPXI shares rose roughly 5–8% intraday on June 26 when the news broke. Other Solana treasury stocks joined the rally. Sol Strategies (STKE) and Forward Industries (FWDI) both posted double-digit gains in what analysts called a "sympathy rally" across the nascent Solana corporate sector, according to Crypto Briefing.
Deep Discounts and Heavy Debt Shadow the Treasury Model
Upexi's financial picture is complicated. Its market cap sits at roughly $53.4 million — even though its SOL holdings are worth nearly three times that. The stock trades at a steep 0.3x–0.4x discount to its net asset value. The company also reported a nine-month net loss of $221.5 million, mostly from unrealized losses on its digital asset holdings, according to Nasdaq filings cited by Value the Markets.
The debt load is heavy. Upexi carries $181 million in Solana-linked convertible notes and $57.3 million in short-term treasury debt. That leaves the company with negative stockholders' equity of $51.9 million as of March 31, 2026. On June 24, Nasdaq sent Upexi a warning letter over a possible rule violation tied to shareholder approval for recent note issuances, Crypto Briefing reported.
Staking Lock-Ups and Nasdaq Warnings Raise Real Risks
Because 95% of Upexi's SOL is staked, most of it cannot be sold quickly. Solana's unstaking period takes several days. If the network suffered a major outage or exploit, Upexi could not exit fast enough to protect its balance sheet. Analysts at InvestingPro describe the stock as a "high-leverage bet" on the Solana protocol specifically, according to Tron Weekly.
The open Nasdaq compliance question adds another layer of risk. If Upexi cannot resolve the shareholder approval issue, it could face delisting proceedings — which would immediately remove it from the Russell index. Observers expect the company may eventually sell off its legacy consumer brands entirely to become a pure-play Solana treasury, Value the Markets reported.
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