After a few months on the decline, Bitcoin is more alive than ever. It has been at all-time highs for just over a month, ETFs have been approved, and the much-awaited halving is approaching, which is expected to boost its value once again.
Today, many investment funds, companies, and even states are investing in Bitcoin. Some of them are called ‘whales’ because of their ability to shape prices themselves by buying and selling cryptocurrencies.
But there are also small individual Bitcoin holders: early individual investors who have made a fortune thanks to the currency.
But who really owns the most bitcoins?
The mysterious inventor: Satoshi Nakamoto, would be the largest individual holder
The most notorious Bitcoin holder is its enigmatic creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, who is estimated to own around 1.1 million BTC, equivalent to about 65,000 million euros.
Satoshi not only is presumed to have invented Bitcoin but also was the first miner, processing transaction blocks since the genesis of Bitcoin on January 3, 2009, accumulating an impressive amount of bitcoins as a reward for his mining work.
Despite leaving the project in 2010 and his identity remaining a mystery, Satoshi’s influence endures in the cryptocurrency ecosystem and discussions that continue to this day.
Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss
The Winklevoss twins, initially known for their legal dispute with Mark Zuckerberg, which resulted in a $65 million settlement in their favor, invested some of that money in Bitcoin, acquiring approximately 70,000 BTC when the price was around $10 per coin. The current equivalent would be 4,000 million euros.
This initial investment has positioned them as some of the largest individual holders of the crypto asset. Additionally, they have been pioneers in the effort to bring Bitcoin to the general public through their exchange platform, Gemini.
Tim Draper
The renowned venture capitalist Tim Draper purchased 29,656 BTC in a U.S. government auction of bitcoins confiscated from the Silk Road black market (about 1,800 million current).
Draper has been a staunch advocate of Bitcoin and its adoption as an alternative and future financial system. His belief in the disruptive potential of Bitcoin has led him to make bold predictions about its value in the future.
Michael Saylor
Michael Saylor, CEO of MicroStrategy, has turned his company into one of the largest corporate holders of Bitcoin, personally accumulating 17,732 BTC (about 1,000 million current).
Saylor is a prominent “Bitcoin Bull,” whose company’s strategy involves acquiring Bitcoin as a store of value to protect against inflation and negative yield bonds.
Despite significant concentrations of bitcoin among some individuals and entities, Bitcoin ownership remains fairly distributed among a variety of owners. Some of the largest holders include exchange entities such as Binance and Bitfinex, whose addresses contain colossal amounts intended for custody.
