Bitcoin is a decentralized cryptocurrency that operates on a peer-to-peer network, which means that no central authority or entity controls it. As such, it is not possible to identify the actual owners of Bitcoin. However, Bitcoin addresses can be publicly visible, and some entities are known to hold significant amounts of the cryptocurrency.

One of the most prominent entities that hold a significant amount of Bitcoin is the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), a digital currency investment vehicle managed by Grayscale Investments. As of April 2021, GBTC holds approximately 654,000 BTC, making it one of the largest Bitcoin holders in the world.

Another entity that holds a significant amount of Bitcoin is MicroStrategy, a publicly-traded business intelligence company. In August 2020, MicroStrategy announced that it had invested $250 million in Bitcoin, which it has since increased to over $5 billion worth of BTC. This represents approximately 91,000 BTC, or around 0.44% of the total supply of Bitcoin.

Other well-known entities that are known to hold large amounts of Bitcoin include exchanges such as Binance, Huobi, and Coinbase, as well as early Bitcoin adopters such as the Winklevoss twins. However, it is difficult to estimate the exact amount of Bitcoin that these entities hold, as they are not required to disclose their holdings publicly.

It is worth noting that while some entities hold a significant amount of Bitcoin, the distribution of the cryptocurrency is relatively decentralized. According to data from Glassnode, as of April 2021, the top 1% of Bitcoin addresses held approximately 22% of the total Bitcoin supply, while the top 10% of addresses held approximately 52% of the total supply. This suggests that Bitcoin ownership is relatively dispersed, with many individuals and entities holding smaller amounts of the cryptocurrency.

Moreover, the anonymity and privacy features of Bitcoin make it challenging to determine the actual owners of the cryptocurrency. While Bitcoin addresses can be publicly visible, they do not necessarily reveal the identity of the owner of the address. In many cases, Bitcoin addresses may be owned by exchanges, wallets, or other third-party services, making it difficult to determine the actual owners of the cryptocurrency.

By Nathan Harris

Nathan is a long-time investor in crypto and a co-founder of PandaVana.com.