The largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization is pre-determined to have 21 million coins ever mined. Many BTC proponents believe this anti-inflationary feature should make the asset more scarce and valuable in time.
The total amount of Bitcoin produced as of today stands at almost 19.5 million, with over 15% owned by ten individuals or organizations. In the following lines, we will take a closer look at the biggest holders and pinpoint their exact possessions.
Satoshi Nakamoto Ranks First
The mysterious developer who wrote the asset’s original whitepaper in 2008 (amid the severe housing market crash that spread across the globe) is undoubtedly leading the pack, owning 1.1 million BTC. Calculated at current rates, the stash stands at approximately $29.5 billion.
The second position goes to the digital asset manager Grayscale. The entity, which recently secured a landmark victory against the US SEC, holds 643,572 BTC (approximately $17.2 billion).
The world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange – Binance – ranks third with 498,147 BTC, whereas its rival Bitfinex owns 192,508 BTC. It’s worth noting, though, that this isn’t BTC owned by Binance but rather kept there on behalf of its users. The same is true for almost all of the platforms in this list.
Interestingly, the fifth place belongs to the government of the United States of America. The ruling body has a stash of 175,000 BTC, confiscated from various criminal activities.
The American business intelligence company co-founded by Bitcoin supporter Michael Saylor – is sixth with 152,800 BTC. Its latest purchase occurred sometime this summer when it gobbled up an additional 420 BTC.
Block One (140,000 BTC), OKX (118,334 BTC), Robinhood (118,300 BTC), and the Winklevoss twins (70,000 BTC) round up the top 10 list.
The Potential Missing Participant
One entity that might find a spot in the aforementioned rank is the Bulgarian government. The ruling body confiscated over 200,000 BTC from illegal miners in 2017. While some media outlets confirmed the seizure, former Chief Public Prosecutor Ivan Geshev denied such an operation.
In the following years, there was little information about the mysterious BTC stash that the government of the Eastern European country might own. One person who tried to raise the topic again is Member of Parliament Ivaylo Marchev, who requested detailed information about the seizure and the exact whereabouts of the holdings. However, the authorities did not cooperate, leaving the matter an unsolved secret.
In any case, Bulgaria could be placed in the fourth position (right after Binance) should it own over $5.7 billion worth of the leading digital currency.
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