Bitcoin, “one of a kind” digital asset, turns 16 today. The first and most popular cryptocurrency has witnessed a remarkable journey since its inception in 2009. Perhaps it is one of the most promising assets that has provided the highest return on investment (ROI) over the past decade.
With limited supply and “unlimited” demand, Bitcoin has become one of the best investment choices among investors in recent times. But, who all owns the most Bitcoin? Let us dive deep:
Most Bitcoin Owners in January 2025
Satoshi Nakamoto
With an estimated 968,452 Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto is the owner of a large chunk. He was the first miner to produce blocks, in addition to inventing them. In return, Nakamoto received rewards of around one million Bitcoin.
Satoshi’s Bitcoin holdings, which are worth over $94 billion as of December 2024, represent a sizable amount of the whole supply. He remained active in the development of Bitcoin until about 2010 but has not been heard from since then.
Also Read: Why We Will and Should Never Know Who Satoshi Nakamoto Is?
MicroStrategy
MicroStrategy is the largest Bitcoin holding public company, which sits at 423,650 BTC purchased for $25.6 billion. Michael Saylor, CEO of MicroStrategy, claims that excluding future obligations, the company‘s current shareholders earned a 38.7% yield in November.
Also Read: Michael Saylor Hints at 2024’s Final Bitcoin Purchase
Winklevoss Twins
When we talk about Bitcoin billionaires, the WinkleVoss twins- Cameron and Tyler come to mind. The duo co-founded Gemini, a crypto exchange, in 2014. Currently, the twins hold about 70,000 BTC. They have turned their $65 million Facebook settlement into many hundreds of millions of dollars in Bitcoin.
The billionaires were reported donating $1 million Bitcoin to support Donald Trump. However, they received a refund of over $300 later as it exceeded the maximum amount.
Public Companies
As per Bitcoin Treasuries’ data, over 553,639 BTC or 2.64% of the total supply is owned by public companies collectively. The financial services firm Robinhood Markets, which offers stock, exchange-traded fund (ETF), and cryptocurrency trading, has also invested huge amounts in Bitcoin.
Arkham Intelligence asserts that Robinhood is in control of 136,755 Bitcoin. A cryptocurrency mining organisation Marathon Digital Holdings owns 40,435 BTC. With 9,720 Bitcoin, a publicly-traded automotive company Tesla is the fourth-largest Bitcoin owner.
Private Companies
Approximately 366,738 BTC (1.75%) of the entire supply is owned by private companies. A Chinese company, Block. One is said to be the largest private owner of Bitcoin with a holding of 140,000 BTC. Tether Holdings, the firm behind the largest stablecoin USDT, currently holds around 82,454 BTC worth $8.0 billion. This amount makes it the second largest private Bitcoin holder.
With 38,931 Bitcoin, Xapo Bank is the third major private Bitcoin owner. Similarly, an American financial services company Stone Ridge Holdings Group owns about 10,000 BTC while a Tokyo-based defunct Mt. Gox holds over 34,164 Bitcoin.
Conclusion
As Bitcoin has crossed $100,000 price and the bullish cycle is expected to continue in this year, it is attracting more investors from every corner of the world- be it retailers, public and private companies or countries. This will push the idea of BTC adoption globally.
