Who owns the most Bitcoin? They are the ones who keep their finger on the pulse of the market!

The largest holders of Bitcoin, often referred to as "whales," control a significant portion of the total Bitcoin supply. This group includes a variety of actors, from the mysterious creator of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto, to public companies, investment funds, and governments. So, what impact could knowing who these large holders are have on the market? Here is a breakdown of the largest holders of Bitcoin.

1. SATOSHI NAKAMOTO – ESTIMATED 1 MILLION BTC

The anonymous creator of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto, stands out as the person or group believed to own approximately 1 million BTC. These coins were mined in the early years of Bitcoin and have remained inactive since then. If these coins are ever moved, it could have a serious impact on the market.

Estimated Value: 86 billion dollars (BTC price at 86,000 dollars). Status: Obtained through mining in 2009 and 2010 and has not been moved since.

2. GRAYSCALE BITCOIN TRUST (GBTC) – MORE THAN 600,000 BTC

Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) stands out as the largest institutional holder of Bitcoin. This trust offers institutional investors the opportunity to invest in Bitcoin, and the BTCs are securely held by Coinbase.

Ownership: Approximately 627,000 BTC Estimated Value: Over 54 billion dollars.

3. PUBLIC COMPANIES THAT OWN BITCOIN

Some publicly traded companies have incorporated Bitcoin into their balance sheets as part of their corporate strategies. Among the most notable of these companies are MicroStrategy, Tesla, and Block, Inc.

MicroStrategy: 152,000 BTC (13 billion dollars) Tesla: 10,500 BTC (900 million dollars) Block, Inc.: 8,000 BTC (688 million dollars)

4. PRIVATE COMPANIES AND INVESTMENT FUNDS

Private companies and investment funds also hold large amounts of Bitcoin. For example, the 140,000 BTC managed after the bankruptcy of Mt. Gox, and the large amounts of BTC held by investment funds like CoinShares, are kept as long-term investments.

5. GOVERNMENTS THAT OWN BITCOIN

Some governments have acquired Bitcoin by seizing the assets of criminals or through tax collection. The U.S. government is the largest state holder with approximately 200,000 BTC. Additionally, it is claimed that the Bulgarian government owns 213,000 BTC.

6. EXCHANGES AND USER WALLETS

Cryptocurrency exchanges also hold large amounts of Bitcoin. Platforms like Binance and Coinbase store their users' BTC in cold wallets.

Binance: 600,000 BTC Coinbase: 500,000 BTC

These BTCs are not directly owned by the exchanges and represent assets belonging to millions of users.

7. MINING POOLS AND INDIVIDUAL WHALES

Mining pools and some large individual holders also possess significant amounts of BTC. Mining pools manage the rewards of their participants, while whale wallets hold substantial amounts of BTC.