Crypto Whales: Largest Bitcoin Holders in The World

Bulls, bears, whales. It would seem what they have to do with cryptocurrencies? In fact, this is what they call the major holders of digital assets. Today we will talk about the most famous of them—crypto whales, who own most of the crypto and whose asset movements cause huge fluctuations in the market. Understanding this term is a basic fundamental that everyone should learn in the process of crypto education. Let's start looking into it!

Who Are The Big Whales In Crypto?

As stated earlier, a crypto whale is someone who owns the most cryptocurrency. But it's not always one person behind it. They can also be a group of crypto enthusiasts, investors, organizations, and even blockchain wallets. Yes, if a crypto wallet holds a tidy sum of money, the wallet itself can also be called so.

The crypto whale who owns the most assets uses them for various purposes: day trading, long-term investing, long/short trading, exchange trades, and so on. Well, isn't that what everyone is doing? Of course, all crypto holders do this day in and day out, but crypto whales, unlike many, conduct all transactions on a large scale. Their actions greatly influence the price of cryptocurrencies and set trends for other traders. Often, experienced crypto traders watch what the whales buy in order to follow their lead.

Why Is It So Difficult To Determine The Largest Cryptocurrency Holders?

To answer this question, we need to face the fact that everyone is interested in getting into someone else's wallet and finding out how much money is in the account. In the crypto market, the same thing happens: many people are interested in the number of assets of crypto whales that have the most digital currency.

Sure, everyone can openly track large movements of cryptocurrencies on the blockchain, but it's worth remembering that the network securely hides the identities of owners. Also, being people with large professional and expert backgrounds, crypto whales often use innovative technologies to move funds covertly in order to hide their identity and the amount of assets. But if such tactics are not employed by big whales in crypto, large movements of funds can also be monitored in a blockchain explorer such as Cryptomus.

Who Owns The Most Crypto In The World?

There are quite a few people on the planet who have gotten rich on Bitcoin. However, it is difficult to say exactly who owns the most crypto in the world. Therefore, we will tell you about some of the top 10 crypto whales, including Bitcoin holders.

Bitcoin holders are investors who buy BTC and hold it in anticipation of price growth. Their strategies vary. Some are long-term holders (HODLers), who prefer to keep their assets regardless of market fluctuations. Others are active holders, who combine long-term investments with regular trades.

• Satoshi Nakamoto: It is impossible to start listing top whales in crypto without this name. It was this man who opened the world of cryptocurrencies to us and in 2009 created the first cryptocurrency—Bitcoin. But Satoshi Nakamoto is called not only the creator but also the first miner and the owner of the largest amount of Bitcoin in history. As the numbers show, over the entire period of the existence of cryptocurrencies, Satoshi mined a large number of blockchain blocks, and his accounts hold around 1 million Bitcoin tokens, which accounts for about 5% of the total existing supply.

To our great surprise, there is an opinion that all these funds are still in Satoshi’s addresses and are not used by him. Maybe it’s for the better, because it’s hard to imagine what could happen to the market if all these assets returned to circulation in one day.

• Winklevoss twins: The “Gemini” cryptocurrency exchange is named for a reason. Its co-founders are twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss. They are known for acquiring 1% of the total Bitcoin volume back in 2013, but 9 years after the collapse of the FTX crypto exchange, the brothers lost more than half of their assets. They now have about 120,000 Bitcoins in their possession. However, the twins can catch up because the popularity of their own crypto exchange brings them a lot of income.

• Michael Saylor: The famous Bitcoin holder and the head of MicroStrategy. He was one of the first major business figures to invest significant sums into Bitcoin and makes it a central element of his corporate strategy. MicroStrategy owns over 200,000 BTC, so Saylor became one of the largest Bitcoin holders in the world. His success in this area has inspired many other investors to follow suit, and today his company continues to increase its cryptocurrency holdings.

• Changpeng Zhao, widely known as CZ: The founder and CEO of Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume. CZ is a prominent figure in the crypto industry, and his wealth reflects his strong belief in blockchain technology. He has publicly stated that most of his fortune is tied to cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, with an estimated value of $33 billion. Under his leadership, Binance not only dominates the exchange market but also expands into blockchain projects, decentralized finance (DeFi), and NFT markets. CZ’s vision and influence make him a key player in shaping the global crypto ecosystem.

• Brian Armstrong: The co-founder and CEO of Coinbase, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the United States. As the head of a publicly traded company, Armstrong has played a pivotal role in integrating cryptocurrencies into the financial sector. His personal Bitcoin holdings are valued at $10.7 billion. Under his leadership, Coinbase has become a gateway for millions of retail and institutional investors entering the crypto space. Through his efforts, Armstrong has significantly contributed to the global adoption of cryptocurrencies.

Nowadays, over 400 million people around the world own cryptocurrencies. This number continues to grow as crypto becomes more accessible and popular among various ages and professional backgrounds. Crypto whales play a crucial role in shaping market trends, but it is important to remember that the market continues to attract new investors, both individual and institutional. Each year, more companies are betting on cryptocurrencies, which helps strengthen their position within the financial system. Also, they not only own significant amounts of cryptocurrency but also actively influence the crypto market by making strategically important decisions.

What Companies Own Most Bitcoins In The World?

These corporate giants not only influence the direction of the market but also integrate cryptocurrencies into the broader financial system. Let's take a look at several leading companies from the global top 5 that hold the largest volumes of Bitcoin.

• Tesla: The big crypto whale is automaker Tesla, which owns about 9720 Bitcoins. Elon Musk, a representative of this company and one of the biggest whales in crypto, surprised everyone with an innovative decision to buy cryptocurrencies to further diversify the company's profits. This decision brought a lot of benefits, and he didn’t stop there and later became the first major automaker to accept payments in cryptocurrencies.

• MicroStrategy: The company, led by Michael Saylor, holds the title of the largest corporate Bitcoin holder globally. Since its first purchase in 2020, the company has accumulated over 200,000 Bitcoins, positioning cryptocurrency as a key part of its treasury strategy.

Saylor views Bitcoin as a reliable store of value and a hedge against inflation. The company continues to buy during market dips, reflecting confidence in Bitcoin’s long-term potential. Its bold approach has inspired other corporations to explore cryptocurrencies, driving broader adoption in the financial world.

• Galaxy Digital Holdings: An investment company focused on cryptocurrencies and blockchain owns over 16,402 Bitcoins. Founded by Michael Novogratz, the company invests in cryptocurrencies and provides services to institutional investors. Galaxy Digital also backs blockchain projects, which strengthens its position as a leader in the cryptocurrency market.

• MARA Holdings: The parent company of Marathon Digital Holdings ranks among the largest corporate holders of Bitcoins. The company owns around 12,000 BTC. MARA also mines coins and expands its mining capacity. The company increases its reserves every year, betting on Bitcoin as a long-term asset.

Now that we have reviewed the largest cryptocurrency holders among companies, let's move on to the wealthiest cryptocurrency holders. We'll explore how they navigate the market and the strategies they use to manage their funds.

Which Government Owns The Most Crypto?

However, the largest Bitcoin holder among countries is the US government, which owns 200,000 BTC. Although cryptocurrencies are popular among private investors, the United States holds a special place in this context. They became the largest Bitcoin holder, primarily due to seizures made during various law enforcement operations. For example, US authorities confiscated around 69,000 Bitcoins as part of their efforts to combat illegal activities in 2020. It propelled the US to the top spot in terms of Bitcoin holdings among nations.

How The Wealthiest Crypto Owners Navigate The Market?

As we’ve said earlier, large cryptocurrency holders are usually investors with a large professional and expert background. Such people are often active in crypto markets and determine market trends.

Assessing the professionalism of the actions of those who have the most coins, many traders try to analyze the movement of the whales’ assets in order, like the biggest crypto whales, to choose investment options with the lowest risks.

Due to this, whales can manipulate and have some control over the market. After all, if whales suddenly start acquiring cryptocurrencies, then others are more likely to do the same. The same thing happens in the opposite case; if whales sell assets, this can serve as a signal that the cryptocurrency rate is expected to fall.

However, in such cases, you need to remember that such processes may simply be financial manipulation. An example of such manipulation is a case that happened several years ago. A rumor spread on Twitter that Tesla has started selling off its Bitcoins. Relying on the forecasts and actions of this company, many traders did the same, and the Bitcoin market collapsed. After the official statement, it became known that the company did not sell a single asset during that period, and this collapse was not their fault.

Therefore, do not forget that tracking the movement of whale funds cannot be considered the only and key indicator of market growth or decline.

So, today you’ve learned about a significant figure in the digital world—crypto whales. We introduced you to the key Bitcoin holders and their massive fortunes. Moreover, by keeping an eye on the cryptocurrency activities of the companies mentioned above, you can stay informed about the main events in the crypto market.

Who do you consider the top crypto whales? Write it in the comments!