Key Highlights
- Changpeng Zhao said that millionaires may soon be unable to afford one full Bitcoin.
- CZ was responding to analyst Quinten Francois, who noted that the U.S. has approximately 23.6 million millionaires, making one-Bitcoin ownership impossible for all of them even at current supply levels.
- Bitcoin’s circulating supply reached approximately 20.071 million BTC in August 2026, leaving around 929,000 BTC before the 21 million maximum supply is reached.
Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) said on X on Saturday that millionaires may soon struggle to afford one full Bitcoin (BTC).
CZ made the comment in response to crypto analyst Quinten Francois, who noted that the United States has approximately 23.6 million millionaires and that not even all of them could own a full coin. CZ responded, “Soon, millionaires won’t be able to afford 1 full Bitcoin.”
The exchange occurred as Bitcoin’s circulating supply reached 20.071 million coins as of August 2026. With a maximum supply of 21 million, roughly 4.4% of the total supply remains to be mined, according to data from CoinGecko (on August 15 at 2:00 pm UTC). CZ has previously estimated that 10-20% of existing Bitcoins could be lost, stuck, or unrecoverable, describing the asset as deflationary.
Bitcoin price remains near $63,000
According to data from CoinGecko (on August 15 at 2:00 pm UTC), Bitcoin was trading at approximately $62,985 to $62,987. In the past 24 hours, the price rose 0.7%, moving within a range of $62,525.02 to $63,171.40. Over the prior seven days, the price declined 3.1%, with a range of $62,525.02 to $65,362.80.
The all-time high of $126,080 was recorded on October 6, 2025, representing a decline of about 50% from that peak. The all-time low remains $67.81 from July 5, 2013. Charts for the 24-hour period showed price fluctuations between roughly $62,500 and $63,200, while the seven-day view reflected a downward trend from levels near $65,000 earlier in the week.
CZ previously discussed Bitcoin custody risks
CZ’s comments came just weeks after he addressed cryptocurrency custody practices. He responded to Bitcoin analyst Willy Woo, who shared data indicating that 1.57 million BTC have been lost through self-custody compared with 1.51 million BTC lost on cryptocurrency exchanges.
In an X post on August 4, CZ stated, “It is statistically safer to store coins on exchanges than to self-custody,” while noting that the figures assume the underlying data are accurate. He added that both centralized exchanges and self-custody carry different risks. The comments form part of ongoing public discussion around Bitcoin’s fixed supply, ownership distribution, and storage methods.
Binance halts transactions with 16 crypto platforms
While Zhao continues to comment on market supply dynamics and self-custody risks, Binance is simultaneously tightening its global operational compliance. On Friday, the exchange announced that it would stop processing transactions involving 16 cryptocurrency platforms. It issued a notice to all users stating it would cease handling transactions linked to the listed services. The platforms include HTX and EXMO.
The list corresponds to crypto services named in the European Union’s 21st package of Russia-related sanctions, along with two entities designated by the US Treasury on August 7. The restrictions take effect on staggered dates. Shelbit, registered as Shelbit General Trading LLC, and Aban Tether Exchange became subject to the measures on August 7. A7 Nigeria, A7 Africa, and PilotFinance Ltd. followed on August 13.
Eleven additional platforms face the cutoff on August 23. These are Rapira; Aifory Pro, registered as Sooty Ltd; ABCeX, registered as Nueva Cryptologia S.A.S. DE C.V.; WhiteBird; NoOnecrypto INC.; Tradex, registered as Brightum LLC; Monease Ltd; BitPapa; Exnode and Exnode Pay, registered as Arvix; HTX, registered as Huobi Global SA; and EXMO Ltd. The announcement applies globally rather than to users in any single jurisdiction.
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