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An increasing number of companies and institutions are considering Bitcoin (BTC) as part of their financial strategy. Many do this to strengthen their balance sheets and protect purchasing power against inflation. This institutional buying behavior has been a major driver behind BTC’s price surge in recent months—and interest is expected to grow even further.

But who actually owns the most Bitcoin in the world?

Exchanges and Miners Dominate the Rankings

According to TimeChainIndex data, the largest Bitcoin holders are miners and major cryptocurrency exchanges.

The number one undisputed Bitcoin holder? Patoshi—a collection of mined Bitcoin rewards from 2009 and 2010 that have remained untouched. Many experts believe that a significant portion of these coins are lost forever, as their private keys have been forgotten or misplaced.

Beyond Patoshi, crypto exchanges such as Coinbase and Binance dominate the list:

Coinbase currently holds approximately 1.03 million BTC, making it one of the largest single custodians of Bitcoin.
Binance manages around 0.66 million BTC, securing a spot among the top holders.

These exchanges store Bitcoin on behalf of millions of users, making them key players in the crypto ecosystem.

BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF Breaks Records

A surprising entry in the rankings is the BlackRock iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), which has quickly become one of the largest BTC holders globally.

IBIT ranks fourth, despite being a newly launched Spot Bitcoin ETF in January 2024.
Within just one year, the fund has accumulated 586,000 BTC, currently valued at approximately $56.3 billion.

The dominance of IBIT highlights how institutional investors are flooding into the crypto market, especially after the approval of Spot Bitcoin ETFs. This trend signifies growing mainstream adoption and a shift in investor sentiment toward Bitcoin as a legitimate asset class.

MicroStrategy’s Relentless Bitcoin Strategy

MicroStrategy (now rebranded as Strategy) holds the fifth-largest Bitcoin reserve, further reinforcing its commitment to BTC as a core corporate strategy.

Led by CEO Michael Saylor, the company has engaged in aggressive Bitcoin accumulation, amassing 471,000 BTC.
MicroStrategy remains the largest publicly traded company holding Bitcoin, a position it continues to solidify.

The company regularly adds BTC to its balance sheet, aiming to establish itself as one of the most dominant holders of Bitcoin worldwide.

Conclusion: Institutional Adoption is Reshaping Bitcoin Ownership

The top Bitcoin holders today are no longer just early adopters and individual investors. Instead, crypto exchanges, institutional investors, and public companies have emerged as dominant players in BTC ownership.

Key takeaways:

Exchanges like Coinbase and Binance store vast amounts of BTC on behalf of users.
BlackRock’s IBIT ETF has disrupted the market, attracting massive institutional inflows.
MicroStrategy continues to grow its BTC holdings, doubling down on its Bitcoin-first corporate strategy.

As institutional interest in Bitcoin continues to rise, we may see even larger financial entities entering the space, further cementing BTC’s role as a mainstream financial asset. 🚀

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Margharet Tess

Editor, Developer at Cryptheory Labs

I have been active in the cryptocurrency world for over 6 years, during which I have written countless articles about this sector. What fascinates me most about cryptocurrencies is their technological aspect and the problems they aim to solve. In the past three years, I have ventured into app development and am currently working on a larger project called P2E Buzzer. Stay tuned for the surprise. 🙂 My previous experiences: Business2Community.com, TradingPlatforms.com

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