The top 8 holders of Bitcoin (BTC) are often large institutional investors, Bitcoin
1. Satoshi Nakamoto
-Estimate:1 million BTC (approx.)
- Details:The pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto, is believed to have mined around 1 million BTC during the early days of the network. These coins remain largely untouched.
2. Bitcoin Exchange Wallets
-Details:Many of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges, such as Binance, Coinbase, and Kraken, hold significant amounts of Bitcoin in custodial wallets. These wallets contain funds on behalf of exchange users.
3. MicroStrateg
- BTC Holdings: 158,000 BTC (as of 2023)
- Details: MicroStrategy, a business intelligence company, has been one of the most prominent corporate Bitcoin holders. CEO Michael Saylor has been a vocal advocate of Bitcoin.
4. Tesla
- BTC Holdings:42,000 BTC (as of 2021; may have changed since)
- Details: Tesla, the electric car company led by Elon Musk, made a significant purchase of Bitcoin in 2021, which was part of its treasury diversification strategy.
5. Block.one (EOS)
- Details: The company behind the EOS blockchain, Block.one, is believed to hold large amounts of Bitcoin. Some estimates suggest they hold around 140,000 BTC.
6. Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC)**
- BTC Holdings:Over 600,000 BTC (as of 2023)
- Details: Grayscale’s Bitcoin Trust is a major institutional vehicle for investing in Bitcoin without directly holding the asset. The trust holds large quantities of BTC on behalf of investors.
7. Coinbase
- Details: Coinbase, one of the largest U.S.-based crypto exchanges, holds a large amount of Bitcoin in both its own reserves and in customer wallets.
8. Mt. Gox Trustee
- BTC Holdings: 141,000 BTC (still being slowly distributed)
-Details: The trustee of the defunct Mt. Gox exchange is still in the process of distributing the Bitcoin from the exchange's hack and bankruptcy proceedings.
