Who controls Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is not controlled by any single group or person. Instead, it is governed by multiple stakeholders — including developers, miners, and users. Developers write the code that makes Bitcoin run; miners validate transactions; and users put the software to work by trading, transacting, holding, and more.
The legend of Satoshi Nakamoto, the anonymous bitcoin founder, is a mystery built for the digital age. His true identity has become mythologized, and while no one knows who he is, he's become a symbol of a new era of freedom in finance and technology.
Bitcoin's price is primarily affected by its supply, the market's demand, availability, competing cryptocurrencies, and investor sentiment. Bitcoin supply is limited—there is a finite number of bitcoins, and the final coins are projected to be mined in 2140.
So, who are the top holders of BTC? According to the Bitcoin research and analysis firm River Intelligence, Satoshi Nakamoto, the anonymous creator behind Bitcoin, is listed as the top BTC holder as of 2024. The company notes that Satoshi Nakamoto holds about 1.1m BTC tokens in about 22,000 different addresses.
As of March 2023, the top 1% of Bitcoin addresses hold over 90% of the total Bitcoin supply, according to Bitinfocharts.
In terms of what the Bible says about it, obviously there aren't any specific scriptures about cryptocurrency.
But there are some compelling theories for who Satoshi really is — and who might control the 1.1 million bitcoin in known Satoshi wallets. If Satoshi is alive and in control of his keys, then he has access to holdings worth around $70 billion at today's prices.
In 2016, Dutch national Didi Taihuttu, his wife and three daughters sold everything they owned to invest in Bitcoin when it was trading at only $900. “We sold everything we had – house, cars, motorbikes, holiday home, clothes, toys, furniture and [it] all went into Bitcoin,” Mr Taihuttu tells The National.
The Securities and Exchange Commission regulates assets it determines to be securities. It doesn't yet regulate Bitcoin, but it is regulating investments or derivatives related to Bitcoin.
If you choose to invest, it's important to maintain a diversified portfolio that includes several different types of investments to reduce your overall risk exposure. As a rule of thumb, don't invest more than 10% of your portfolio in risky assets like Bitcoin. NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team.
How many people own 1 Bitcoin?
How many people own 1 full Bitcoin? According to the blockchain analysis platform BitInfoCharts, more than 1 million wallet addresses hold at least 1 BTC.
| Rank | Company | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MicroStrategy | 🇺🇸 U.S. |
| 2 | Galaxy Digital | 🇺🇸 U.S. |
| 3 | Marathon Digital | 🇺🇸 U.S. |
| 4 | Tesla | 🇺🇸 U.S. |
Governments Holding the Most Bitcoin
Governments across the world own an estimated 565,749 BTC, representing 2.69% of the total supply. The Chinese government reportedly holds 194,000 BTC that was recovered from the Plustoken scam in 2019. Members of the Ukrainian government privately hold roughly 46,351 BTC.
In 2017, Taihuttu, his wife, and three daughters liquidated all they owned, trading a 2,500-square-foot house and virtually all their earthly possessions for bitcoin and a life on the road. This was back when the price of bitcoin was around $900. Bitcoin is currently trading around $19,200.
| Denominations | |
|---|---|
| Initial release | 0.1.0 / 9 January 2009 |
| Latest release | 25.1 / 19 October 2023 |
| Code repository | github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin |
| Development status | Active |
Furthermore, were Nakamoto to be ranked on the Forbes Real-Time Billionaires list, the creator of Bitcoin would stand as the 26th richest individual globally. The 24th through the 27th richest in the world if Satoshi Nakamoto was included in the billionaires' list on Feb. 25, 2024.
As Bitcoin has also become accepted as a medium of exchange, stores value, and is recognized as a unit of account, it is considered money.
Yes, Bitcoin is traceable. Here's what you need to know: Blockchain transactions are recorded on a public, distributed ledger.
Bitcoin (BTC) is a cryptocurrency (a virtual currency) designed to act as money and a form of payment outside the control of any one person, group, or entity. This removes the need for trusted third-party involvement (e.g., a mint or bank) in financial transactions.
The price of Bitcoin is volatile, ranging from under $10 in 2010 to a high of $75,830 in March 2024. Most top Bitcoin billionaires became rich by creating products and services to grow the cryptocurrency ecosystem. This overall price increase has also created millions for people who bought and held their bitcoins.
How many billionaires own Bitcoin?
Alone at the top: There are only 6 Bitcoin billionaires in the whole world, new report reveals. Only 22 people in the world are crypto billionaires, a new study says.
Bitcoin has made many millionaires already, and you could be one, too. Over the course of its 15-year history, Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) has made plenty of millionaires. In fact, data from the blockchain analytics platform Glassnode shows roughly 115,000 wallet addresses with a balance of more than $1 million today.
The decision to cash out crypto or Bitcoin depends on your financial goals and market conditions. You may want to lock in gains, cut or harvest losses for taxes, or simply use your digital assets in the real world.
In October 2017, Netherlands native Didi Taihuttu and his family sold all their valuable belongings and their house for bitcoin. The decision paid off and the Taihuttu family has traveled all around the world and recently moved to the island of phu*ket.
Tesla still holds 9,720 Bitcoins, worth around $400 million at current prices. It will be interesting to see whether it holds on to the tokens in 2024 or sells. In the past, sales of Bitcoin have come when the price rises to new highs or when Tesla is in a tough spot financially.
