Who Owns The Most Bitcoin? The Biggest BTC Whales 2024
2 May, 2024 · 12 min read
Who owns the most Bitcoin between the founders of leading crypto exchanges, public companies, and asset managers?
Today, we cover the major Bitcoin billionaires in the world, public companies heavily invest in the leading digital assets, and even countries holding cryptocurrencies.
Let’s discover who owns the most Bitcoin, from personalities to institutions!
Who Owns The Most Bitcoin?
The biggest Bitcoin owner in the world is Satoshi Nakamoto, the founder of the Bitcoin network.
Bitcoin only has 21 million coins in existence and its founder holds up to 1.1 million coins, translating into over $70 billion given current prices.
The Winklevoss brothers are some of the largest individual owners of Bitcoin, with holdings valued at over $4 billion.
Grayscale, the pioneer of Bitcoin investment products, is the largest corporate holder of Bitcoin, with over 643,000 coins.
Tech companies also saw the value of digital assets, with MicroStrategy shifting its investment strategy to frequently buy in Bitcoin. The company holds over 214,000 Bitcoin, being one of its largest owners. Other companies like Tesla, Square, Meitu, and Reddit are top holders of BTC.
Crypto Companies like Binance, Coinbase, Hut 8, and traditional companies offering Bitcoin ETFs (e.g., BlackRock) are some of the top 20 holders of Bitcoin worldwide.
Even countries, especially the US, hold many BTC from seizures while others have fully invested in its potential, like El Salvador and the Central African Republic, recognizing it as legal tender.
Who Are the Biggest Individual Bitcoin Billionaires?
Here’s the list of the top individual Bitcoin billionaires:
Satoshi Nakamoto
Several reports suggest that wallets belonging to Satoshi Nakamoto, the original Bitcoin creator, hold between 600,000 and 1.1 million coins. At current prices, with Bitcoin at $67K, Satoshi owns between $40.2 billion and $73.7 billion, being the largest individual owner of Bitcoin, despite its “disappearance.”
Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss
The Winklevoss brothers were early investors in Bitcoin by founding one of the leading crypto exchanges in the market, Gemini.
It is estimated that they hold around 70,000 Bitcoin, which is valued at $4.69 billion, given current prices.
Changpeng Zhao (CZ)
The founder and previous CEO of Binance, Changpeng Zhao, is one of the top Bitcoin holders in the world as the founder of the leading exchange in the market.
Reports suggest that Changpeng Zhao (CZ) has a net worth of $33 billion, while the exact number of Bitcoin he holds is undisclosed.
Tim Draper
Tim Draper is one of the most vocal venture capitalists in the US and an early advocate for Bitcoin. He purchased Bitcoin after the US government seized coins from the Silk Road turmoil.
It is estimated that he holds around 3,000 Bitcoin, valued at $201 million, given current prices.
Other Individual Bitcoin Holders
Many other personalities famously hold Bitcoin, including:
Michael Saylor
The founder of MicroStrategy, Michael Saylor, is also personally invested in Bitcoin, reportedly holding 17,732 coins.
The largest Public Companies Holdings Bitcoin
Here are the largest public companies holding Bitcoin:
MicroStrategy
MicroStrategy converted its entire investment policy to a bet on the future of Bitcoin, led by its founder, Michael Saylor (who has since left the company).
MicroStrategy buys Bitcoin regularly in batches, with the last one being on March 19, 2024. As of that date, the company holds 214,246 Bitcoin, valued at $14.35 billion, given current prices.
Marathon Digital Holding
Marathon Digital Holding is one of the pioneers in the crypto mining space and, due to its business nature, is a holder of 17,381 coins, currently valued at $1.16 billion.
Tesla, Inc.
Tesla is the biggest owner of Bitcoin among public companies (except for crypto companies), with holdings of 9,720 coins, currently valued at over $650 million.
Hut 8 Mining Corp
Hut 8 is a crypto mining company and the 5th largest public owner of Bitcoin, holding 9,110 coins valued at over $610 million.
Other public companies that hold Bitcoin
Riot Platforms
According to Bitcoin Treasuries, Riot Platform is the 6th largest public holder of Bitcoin, with 8,490 coins valued at over $568 million given current prices.
Galaxy Digital Holdings
Galaxy is behind several Bitcoin funds, including an ETF in the US, leading it to be the 9th largest Bitcoin holder worldwide. The company is estimated to hold 8,100 coins, valued at over $542 million, given current prices.
Crypto Exchanges With the Most Bitcoins
Crypto exchanges are some of the companies holding the most Bitcoin, including:
Binance
Binance is the leading crypto exchange worldwide by trading volume, and it holds the most Bitcoin. It is estimated that across several wallets, Binance holds over 643,000 coins valued at over $43.1 billion.
Coinbase
Coinbase became the first crypto exchange to become a public company in the US, and it is the 4th largest public holder of Bitcoin. It is estimated to hold 9,480 coins (as an investment). Its public order book holds roughly 394,000 BTC.
Bitfinex
Bitfinex is one of the pioneers in the crypto trading industry and one of the biggest owners of Bitcoin, holding over 196,000 coins, currently valued at over $13.1 billion.
Other exchanges that hold Bitcoin
Bybit
Bybit is becoming one of the top crypto exchanges worldwide, with Bitcoin holdings estimated at 38,147 coins, currently valued at $2.56 billion, given current prices.
FTX
FTX was one of the biggest crypto exchanges until the scandal that led to its demise, but its crypto holdings are estimated at over $3.4 billion, including $560 million in Bitcoin.
Indirect Bitcoin Exposure
Bitcoin ETFs became a popular investment vehicle in the US for investors looking for indirect Bitcoin exposure. In 2024, the US regulator, the SEC, approved the first Bitcoin spot ETF, with several firms launching these products, registering huge adoption rates from investors.
Grayscale: Bitcoin Trust (GBTC)
Grayscale had the largest Bitcoin Trust product before the approval of ETFs, which has now converted into a Bitcoin spot ETF, being the largest in Assets under Management (AuM) by a margin. Grayscale owns 315,931 coins, currently valued at over $21 billion.
BlackRock: iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT)
Since the US approved Bitcoin spot ETFs, many firms have launched these products, but the leader is BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), surpassing $200 billion in cumulative trading volume. As of April 11, BlackRock owns 269,313 coins, valued at over $18 billion, given current prices.
Fidelity: Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC)
Fidelity has the third-largest Bitcoin ETF in the US, the Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC). Fidelity owns 151,853 Bitcoin, currently valued at over $10 billion.
What Country Owns the Most Bitcoin?
Bulgaria
Previous reports suggested that Bulgaria was the country holding the most amount of Bitcoin due to a seizure from criminal activity, but the news has been denied, leaving uncertainty over whether the country actually owns some crypto or not.
The Ukrainian Government
Crypto adoption has been increasing in Ukraine, with its government being one of the largest holders of Bitcoin.
El Salvador
El Salvador became the first country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender and has been developing a fully-fledged plan for it to become a central part of its economy.
The government has invested in Bitcoin, holding 5,700 coins.
United States Of America
The United States of America is the country with the most Bitcoin by authorities seizing assets from criminals. It is estimated that the US treasury owns over 207,000 coins, valued at $1.38 billion, given current prices.
United Kingdom
New reports indicate that the UK is the second largest holder of Bitcoin, holding 61,245 Bitcoin, valued at $4.1 billion, given current prices.
Other Countries that hold Bitcoin
Here are other countries that hold Bitcoin:
Germany
Reports suggest that the German government is the third largest holder of Bitcoin among countries, with holdings of 49,859 Bitcoin, valued at $3.3 billion, given current prices.
Finland
In 2022, it was reported that Finland held 1,981 Bitcoin, which it sold ($75 million at that time) to support Ukraine in the war with Russia.
Top 20 Largest Bitcoin Wallet Addresses
| Rank | Amount of BTC | Wallet address |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | 248,597 | 34xp4vRoCGJym3xR7yCVPFHoCNxv4Twseo |
| 2. | 180,010 | bc1qgdjqv0av3q56jvd82tkdjpy7gdp9ut8tlqmgrpmv24sq90ecnvqqjwvw97 |
| 3. | 136,295 | bc1ql49ydapnjafl5t2cp9zqpjwe6pdgmxy98859v2 |
| 4. | 94,643 | bc1qazcm763858nkj2dj986etajv6wquslv8uxwczt |
| 5. | 79,957 | 1FeexV6bAHb8ybZjqQMjJrcCrHGW9sb6uF |
| 6. | 78,317 | bc1q8yj0herd4r4yxszw3nkfvt53433thk0f5qst4g |
| 7. | 75,354 | bc1qjasf9z3h7w3jspkhtgatgpyvvzgpa2wwd2lr0eh5tx44reyn2k7sfc27a4 |
| 8. | 75,177 | 3E97AjYaCq9QYnfFMtBCYiCEsN956Rvpj2 |
| 9. | 69,370 | bc1qa5wkgaew2dkv56kfvj49j0av5nml45x9ek9hz6 |
| 10. | 68,200 | 68,200 3LYJfcfHPXYJreMsASk2jkn69LWEYKzexb |
| 11. | 59,420 | bc1qd4ysezhmypwty5dnw7c8nqy5h5nxg0xqsvaefd0qn5kq32vwnwqqgv4rzr |
| 12. | 59,300 | 1Ay8vMC7R1UbyCCZRVULMV7iQpHSAbguJP |
| 13. | 53,880 | 1LdRcdxfbSnmCYYNdeYpUnztiYzVfBEQeC |
| 14. | 53,798 | 3M219KR5vEneNb47ewrPfWyb5jQ2DjxRP6 |
| 15. | 51,830 | 1AC4fMwgY8j9onSbXEWeH6Zan8QGMSdmtA |
| 16. | 48,258 | 48,258 3MgEAFWu1HKSnZ5ZsC8qf61ZW18xrP5pgd |
| 17. | 48,206 | bc1qs5vdqkusz4v7qac8ynx0vt9jrekwuupx2fl5udp9jql3sr03z3gsr2mf0f |
| 18. | 44,000 | 1LruNZjwamWJXThX2Y8C2d47QqhAkkc5os |
| 19. | 40,254 | bc1q4j7fcl8zx5yl56j00nkqez9zf3f6ggqchwzzcs5hjxwqhsgxvavq3qfgpr |
| 20. | 37,927 | 3LQUu4v9z6KNch71j7kbj8GPeAGUo1FW6a |
Bitcoin Ownership Distribution
Most of the ownership (over 59%) of Bitcoin lies on addresses holding over 100 BTC each, but the majority of Bitcoin addresses (25.2%) hold between 0.0001 BTC and 0.001 BTC ($6.7-$67). Over 22% of Bitcoin addresses also hold between 0.001 BTC and 0.01 BTC ($67 – $670), proving that investors of all types have access to Bitcoin. Here’s the full Bitcoin ownership distribution.
If we look at the distribution of Bitcoin ownership by the players in the market, individuals own the majority of it, as seen in the picture below:
Why is the distribution of Bitcoin ownership important?
Bitcoin emerged as a decentralized solution for money, where everyone has the opportunity to be a part of it, which leads to a discussion of the concentration of supply. Given Bitcoin’s fixed supply and its decentralized nature, Bitcoin should follow a normal distribution and not be concentrated in the hands of a few players.
Frequently asked questions
about who owns the most Bitcoin
Conclusion on the biggest BTC holders
Satoshi Nakamoto leads the ranking of the biggest BTC holders worldwide, followed by the Winklevoss Brothers and the founder of Binance.
On the institutional side, leading crypto companies like Binance, Coinbase, Bitfinex, Hut 8, and Marathon Digital Holding are the biggest Bitcoin owners. On the tech side, MicroStrategy leads Bitcoin adoption, with other companies like Tesla also being top BTC holders.
Even countries have adopted Bitcoin, with the US, Ukraine, and El Salvador holding thousands of coins.
Disclaimer: All the information provided above is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional investment, legal, or tax advice. You should conduct your own research or consult with a professional financial advisor when investing.
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