📅 August 30 | United States
A new report has set off alarm bells in the crypto ecosystem: the majority of Bitcoin still belongs to individuals, but financial and corporate institutions are closing that gap at a surprising speed. What began as a libertarian and decentralized experiment is now taking place in a terrain where banks, asset managers, and funds all want their share of the most coveted digital pie on the planet. Are we witnessing a historic shift in power over Bitcoin?
📖 The study, cited by CoinDesk, shows that more than a decade after its creation, Bitcoin remains an asset predominantly held by individuals. The data reveals that individuals still control the majority of BTC in circulation, a sign that the asset's decentralized nature has not been fully absorbed by the traditional financial system.
However, the trend has changed radically in the last two years. Since the approval of Bitcoin ETFs in 2024, institutional flows have continued to grow. Major banks such as JPMorgan, Standard Chartered, and Fidelity, along with global asset managers, began systematically accumulating BTC to offer regulated products to their clients.
A turning point came with corporations like MicroStrategy, which already holds more than 226,000 BTC, and Metaplanet, the Japanese firm that this month announced a plan for $880 million in new financing to expand its purchases. These corporate moves have accelerated the transfer of BTC from personal wallets to institutional structures, often through ETFs or investment funds.
The contrast is evident: while individuals continue to hold the majority in distribution, institutions are growing their share proportionally faster. This trend raises a dilemma. For some analysts, it is a positive sign of maturity: Bitcoin is being integrated into the global financial system, gaining legitimacy and liquidity. For others, it represents a danger of concentration, where the promise of decentralization can be diluted in the hands of banks and corporations.
Topic Opinion:
A reminder that Bitcoin is still largely owned by the people, but also a wake-up call: banks and funds aren't going to let up on the accelerator. The challenge for the community is to keep the decentralized spirit alive, encouraging self-custody and education, while coexisting with an increasingly institutionalized ecosystem.
💬 Do you think individuals will be able to continue to dominate BTC holdings in the future?
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