By Frank Martin (MoneyAmped.com)
Who is holding the most Bitcoin in 2024? If you have been asking yourself this question without finding answers, then you have come to the right place. This article lists the top Bitcoin holders as of December 2024. Keep reading to learn more.
Individuals Holding the Most Bitcoin
Satoshi Nakamoto
Although Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto has never disclosed their identity, many experts believe the pseudonymous developer is an individual, not a group of software engineers, as others think.
Nonetheless, Satoshi is among the largest Bitcoin holders, owning over 1 million coins obtained through mining. Interestingly, their wallet has never withdrawn a single BTC since 2009.
The 1 million Bitcoin holding is currently valued at more than $100 billion, making Satoshi one of the richest people in the world.
Cameron Tyler Winklevoss
After settling their dispute with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in the late 2000s, the Winklevoss twins used their compensation to invest in Bitcoin. In 2011, the two bought about 1.1 million Bitcoin while on a vacation in Ibiza. However, they’ve sold most of it, and now about 70,000 BTC, according to data from Forbes.
Michael J. Saylor
The co-founder of MicroStrategy, Michael Saylor, is a well-known Bitcoiner, regularly championing the mass adoption of the coin as he believes it offers financial freedom. Notably, his business intelligence company is the biggest institutional holder of BTC.
Saylor himself owns roughly 17,800 Bitcoin. He started buying the asset in 2019 per data from Michael.com.
Tim Draper
Billionaire investor Tim Draper, known for his early investments in firms like Skype and Tesla, is also a Bitcoin whale, owning over 20,000 coins, which he bought from the US Marshals Service through an auction in 2014 after the American government seized thousands of Bitcoin from the Silk Road dark web marketplace. At the time, Draper spent 19 million to buy 30,000 Bitcoin.
Governments Holding the Most Bitcoin
The US Government: The American government is arguably one of the top Bitcoin holders, owning over 200,000 BTC as of December 2024. Note that it didn’t buy a single coin. The funds were seized from criminals between 2014 and 2021.
The Bulgarian Government: Like the American government, Bulgary owns over 200,000 seized from cybercriminals in 2017.
The El Salvadoran Government: El Salvador is among the few countries with a Bitcoin reserve. Nayib Bukele’s administration started buying BTC in 2021. As of this writing, the nation’s Bitcoin treasury has 6,180 coins.
Public Companies Holding the Most Bitcoin
MicroStrategy: As mentioned earlier, Saylor’s MicroStrategy owns the most Bitcoin among institutions. The company recently bought 24,045 additional Bitcoin, bringing its total holdings to 423,192 coins.
Marathon Digital: Leading American Bitcoin miner Marathon Digital is one of the publicly traded companies owning a massive amount of Bitcoin. CoinGecko’s data shows that the firm holds over 30,000 BTC.
Galaxy Digital: This top crypto company, which targets institutional investors, holds roughly 4,500 Bitcoin.
Tesla: Electric carmaker Tesla, whose CEO Elon Musk is a big fan of cryptocurrencies, owns 10,000 BTC.
Private Companies Holding the Most Bitcoin
Binance: The exchange’s latest proof-of-reserves report shows a Bitcoin holding of over 640,000 coins.
Bitfinex: One of the oldest crypto exchanges, Bifinex, owns over 190,000 Bitcoin.
Tether: The issuer of the USDT stablecoin, Tether, has invested heavily in Bitcoin over the past five years, holding nearly 75,000 BTC as of December 2024.
BlockOne: The Chinese developer behind the EOSIS blockchain, BlockOne, reportedly holds over 160,000 Bitcoin.
Stone Ridge Holdings: Top New York-based financial services company Stone Ridge Holdings owns 11,207 BTC, according to data from Bitcointreasuries.net.
What is in Store for Bitcoin in 2025?
The demand for Bitcoin is expected to rise in 2025 as Donald Trump, a pro-crypto President, assumes office. Many expect Trump’s administration to introduce crypto-friendly policies that would foster the growth of digital assets.
Additionally, more institutions are expected to adopt Bitcoin following the introduction of spot ETFs earlier this year.
With increased demand and a conducive regulatory environment, Bitwise analysts foresee Bitcoin hitting $200,000 by the end of 2025.
