**[SpaceX Short Interest Rises to 29% of Float, Short Positions Reach $25 Billion]** BlockBeats reports that on July 16, as SpaceX's stock price fell back near its IPO offering price, short interest in the company has been rapidly increasing. According to S3 Partners data, approximately 185 million shares of SpaceX stock are currently sold short, accounting for about 29% of the publicly traded float, corresponding to short positions worth approximately $25 billion. Three weeks ago, the estimated number of shorted SpaceX shares was only 40 million, representing about 5% to 7% of the float. The stock has declined roughly 20% since the beginning of July, briefly falling below its IPO offering price of $135 for the first time on Wednesday. KeyBanc Capital Markets noted that at the time of SpaceX's IPO, only about 5% of its total 13 billion shares were publicly traded. The first large-scale lock-up shares may be released around the time of the second-quarter earnings report, potentially making about 11% of the total shares eligible for sale. Additionally, several batches of shares, each representing about 4% of the total share count, will gradually be unlocked approximately 70 days after the IPO. Elon Musk's approximately 42% stake in SpaceX will remain locked up until June 2027. The company's 13th "Starship" test flight is scheduled for Thursday, which could influence market sentiment toward the stock. [Original Link]