In the world of cryptocurrency, one of the most frequently asked questions is: Who holds the most Bitcoin (BTC) globally? While it’s widely believed that Bitcoin’s anonymous creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, leads the way with an estimated 1.1 million BTC mined during the asset’s early years, the rest of the leaderboard remains a bit of a mystery—and continues to shift over time.
Tracking the Largest Bitcoin Holders
Just as Forbes ranks the wealthiest individuals in the world, the crypto space is constantly trying to uncover the biggest Bitcoin holders. But unlike traditional assets, ownership in crypto is often masked by pseudonymity.
Although it’s accepted that Nakamoto mined approximately 54,316 blocks—each generating 50 BTC before the first halving—the coins have never been moved and are spread across about 22,000 different addresses. This alone adds to the mystique surrounding the identity and intentions of Bitcoin’s inventor.
Bitcoin Whales: Identifiable vs. Anonymous
Aside from Satoshi, identifying the biggest BTC holders gets complicated. Blockchain transparency allows anyone to view wallet balances, but it doesn’t always reveal the identity behind the address. Some of the largest wallets belong to “whales”—individuals or entities that hold 1,000 BTC or more—but many remain completely anonymous.
Still, platforms like BitBo attempt to break down Bitcoin ownership into categories based on publicly available data, offering a clearer picture of who controls significant BTC quantities.
Top Bitcoin Holders by Category
According to BitBo, Bitcoin ownership by category is currently led by U.S.-based Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs), which collectively hold around 1,389,485 BTC, or 6.61% of the total 21 million BTC supply.
Following ETFs are:
- Publicly traded companies: 756,616 BTC
- Governments: 529,705 BTC
- Private companies: 398,323 BTC
- DeFi-related entities: 166,330 BTC
- Bitcoin mining firms: 99,803 BTC
Still, platforms like BitBo attempt to break down Bitcoin ownership into categories based on publicly available data, offering a clearer picture of who controls significant BTC quantities.
The Leading Individual Entities: BlackRock and MicroStrategy
Diving deeper into specific entities, BitBo’s latest data shows that the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) by BlackRock has become the largest known BTC holder after Satoshi, with 659,297 BTC—a number that has grown recently and is subject to further fluctuation.
Next in line is MicroStrategy, the business intelligence firm led by Michael Saylor, which owns 580,250 BTC, representing 2.76% of the total Bitcoin supply. Together, IBIT and MicroStrategy are the only two entities that control more than 2% of all BTC in circulation—IBIT with 3.14%, and MicroStrategy slightly behind.
No other single organization—be it a fund, company, or nation-state—currently holds more than 1% of the Bitcoin supply.
Bitcoin Holdings by Country
Turning to national reserves, the United States holds the largest known amount of Bitcoin among governments, with 207,189 BTC. This accumulation stems largely from legal seizures and was formally consolidated into a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve through an executive order signed by the Trump administration in early 2025.
Other top government holders include:
- China, in second place
- The United Kingdom, third
- El Salvador, in sixth, with 6,089 BTC
El Salvador’s unique case continues to make headlines. Since adopting Bitcoin as legal tender in 2021, the country—under President Nayib Bukele—has maintained a “1 BTC per day” acquisition policy. This initiative continues despite ongoing negotiations with the IMF, with daily updates reported publicly.