Who owns the most Bitcoin in 2023: Bitcoin (BTC) is a forerunner of decentralized peer-to-peer payments and the largest cryptocurrency in the world. It had a market capitalization of more than $471 billion as of February 23, 2022. Many early adopters have chosen Bitcoin for its censorship-resistant and unauthorized functionalities. A peak of more than 1.3 million active addresses holding BTC was reached by April 2021, compared to approximately 1,000 in July 2010
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Table of Contents:
What is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is a peer-to-peer electronic cash system that allows its users to send online payments instantly between two parties without the use of a bank. The Bitcoin white paper was published in October 2008 by the fictitious creator of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto. In January 2009, the first block on the Bitcoin network was discovered, earning its discoverer the first Bitcoin. Miners who verify transactions and add transaction history to the open blockchain ledger are rewarded
with new bitcoins.
On February 23, 2023, the market capitalization of BTC was $471 billion at a price of approximately $24,391. The market capitalization of BTC reached over $1.27 trillion at its peak in November 2021, at an all-time high price of $68,789. However, in 2022, a change in investor sentiment led to a crypto winter, with BTC down 63% in early December
2022.
Who owns the most bitcoin?
Most people believe that the person who created Bitcoin under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto has more money in cryptocurrency. Nakamoto hasn’t publicly stated how much Bitcoin he owns, but estimates indicate that he has a portfolio with around 1.1 million BTC. At the time of writing, this would amount to around $25 billion.
Bitcoin’s main owners are divided between private users, public companies, organizations, and anonymous wallets. The list of individuals with the highest bitcoin wealth is constantly changing along with the price of bitcoin. It’s still difficult to identify who owns the most bitcoins. Bitcoin attracts a lot of crowds because everyone wants to own bitcoin.
3 addresses contain the maximum number of bitcoins
The best bitcoin holders were found to be linked to the addresses of the cryptocurrency exchanges Binance (BNB) and BitFinex.
The richest address was that of Binance, which held 250,597 bitcoins worth more than 4 billion dollars, or 1.3% of the total supply of bitcoin in circulation. As of now, the BitFinex wallet contained approximately 0.9% of the total amount of Bitcoin in circulation. The third richest bitcoin address has remained anonymous, with 140,165 BTC. While wallet balances and blockchain data are both viewable by anyone, it should be noted that, unless the holder of a wallet address voluntarily shares their identity, their identity remains anonymous
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5 public companies that own the most bitcoin
Here are the five public companies with the largest portfolios:
- MicroStrategy
- Galaxy Digital Holdings
- Voyager Digital Ltd.
- Tesla
- Marathon Digital Holdings Inc.
1. Microstrategy
A well-known business analysis platform called MicroStrategy has chosen Bitcoin as its main reserve asset. He currently has 132,500 BTC in reserve, which is equivalent to just over $4.03 billion, even though the 2022 crypto crash wiped out billions of dollars worth of value from his cryptocurrency stockpile. MicroStrategy CEO Michael Saylor once stated that he was buying $1,000 in Bitcoin
every second.
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2. Galaxy Digital Holdings
Cryptocurrency-focused investment bank Galaxy Digital Holdings holds 16,400 BTC. However, making it the largest institutional holder of Bitcoin directly associated with the cryptocurrency market. Michael Novogratz founded the company in January 2018. In addition, he has collaborated with Block.one and BlockFi, among other cryptocurrency businesses. It’s no surprise that Novogratz is a passionate supporter of bitcoin.
3. Voyager Digital Ltd.
Voyager Digital, a cryptocurrency broker, currently holds 12,260 BTC or $267 million at today’s exchange rates. The company, which aims to be a one-stop-shop for trading digital assets, recorded quarterly revenues of $60.4 million in May 2021, an increase of 16 times compared to the previous quarter. Voyager Digital was one of the most significant victims of the 2022 cryptocurrency crash
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4.
Tesla
Tesla, an electric vehicle manufacturer, joined the group of companies that hold bitcoin in December 2020. An SEC filing showed that Tesla had invested “a total of $1.50 billion” in the cryptocurrency. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, said that the company sold 10% of its Bitcoin shares in Q1 2021. However, he said it was “to demonstrate the liquidity of Bitcoin as an alternative to holding cash on the balance
sheet.”
5. Marathon Digital Holdings Inc.
Unsurprisingly, bitcoin mining company Marathon Digital is also a significant investor in cryptocurrency. However, it holds 10,055 BTC in its corporate treasury. Before its transition to cryptocurrency mining, the company started as a patent holding company with the goal of creating “the largest Bitcoin mining operation in North America at one of the lowest energy costs
.”
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As of 2023, there are 19 crypto billionaires
Even if there is little data on the wealth distribution of the anonymous Bitcoin owners. As of 2023, there are at least 19 crypto billionaires. Most of those listed are CEOs and owners of well-known cryptocurrency exchanges, with the opponents of Mark Zuckerberg, Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, who together control $4 billion, being the best known. Changpeng Zhao is considered to be the person who owns the most Bitcoin and whose identity is known
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Ukraine has the highest per capita ownership of Bitcoin
When it comes to Bitcoin ownership per capita, Ukraine currently has the highest percentage. In Ukraine, about 12.73% of the population owns some form of cryptocurrency. However, since Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are not as well regulated as fiat currencies, determining who are the biggest holders of Bitcoin is difficult, but Bitcoin remains the most popular option. India has more than 100 million cryptocurrency owners, followed by the United States, which has more than 27 million cryptocurrency owners
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Conclusion
It may be useful for retail bitcoin holders to know who has the most bitcoins, as wallets that contain large amounts of BTC can have a significant influence on their price. It should be noted that all trades involve the risk of loss. Many people are still amazed to learn that there are very few people who own the most bitcoin. Before trading, always conduct your due diligence by reviewing the latest news, fundamental and technical analysis, and analyst comments. Keep in mind that a user’s decision to trade should be based on their experience in the markets, risk tolerance, account size, and trading strategy. Never trade with money you can’t afford to lose
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