No longer a distant concept or a niche financial product for tech enthusiasts, bitcoin (BTC) has solidified its status as a globally valuable asset.
With a maximum supply of 21 million bitcoins, the market capitalization of bitcoin has reached nearly $2.3 trillion, a figure capable of challenging even the giants of traditional finance.
This rise is driven by an unprecedented wave of acceptance. Spot bitcoin ETFs from giants like BlackRock and Grayscale have attracted hundreds of billions of dollars from mainstream investors.
However, the map of bitcoin ownership has become complex, with power distributed among giant exchanges like Binance, listed companies, ETF funds, and national treasuries.
The most intriguing question remains, outside of corporations and organizations, who are the individuals that truly own the most bitcoin? Who are the "underwater kings", the solitary "whales" capable of creating tsunamis with just one transaction?
Satoshi Nakamoto: "The dark king" and a fortune of $137.5 billion
Estimated holdings: 1.1 million BTC
Estimated value: $137.5 billion
At the top of every list, far outpacing every competitor, is a "ghost": Satoshi Nakamoto. The true identity of the person who created bitcoin in 2008 with the white paper "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System" remains the biggest mystery of the 21st century.
Through on-chain data analysis, researchers believe Satoshi mined approximately 1.1 million BTC himself in the early days of the network. This fortune, now worth over $137 billion, lies dormant, spread across about 22,000 different wallet addresses and has not been moved in over a decade.
Not just an asset, this is also an economic "time bomb". If any part of the 1.1 million BTC is moved, it will send a shockwave through the market, potentially causing the price of bitcoin to collapse and triggering a comprehensive crisis of confidence. Satoshi's silence is both a blessing and a curse hanging over the crypto world.
Winklevoss twins: The vengeful prophets
Estimated holdings: 70,000 BTC
Estimated value: $8.75 billion
Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, the twins who became famous for their legal battle against Mark Zuckerberg over the idea of Facebook, turned their $65 million settlement into a cryptocurrency empire. Rather than being bitter about the past, they saw the future in bitcoin.
In 2013, when bitcoin was still an obscure concept priced at just a few dozen dollars, they made bold investments and claimed to own 1% of the total supply of bitcoin at that time. Today, they are estimated to still hold around 70,000 BTC, equivalent to nearly $9 billion.
But they are not just passive investors. They founded Gemini, one of the most licensed and tightly regulated cryptocurrency exchanges in the U.S., playing a crucial role in bridging bitcoin to mainstream finance. Their story is a classic testament to turning a failure into a much greater triumph.
Tim Draper: Venture capitalist who seized the "Silk Road"
Estimated holdings: 29,656 BTC
Estimated value: $3.7 billion
Tim Draper is a legend in the venture capital world, known for his keen eye for early investments in Tesla, Skype, and Hotmail. Therefore, when he bet on bitcoin, the whole world took notice.
In 2014, in what is regarded as an extremely bold move, Draper won a U.S. government auction, acquiring all 29,656 BTC seized from Silk Road - the infamous online "black market". He paid $18.7 million for this deal, at a price of just $632 per BTC.
That investment has now blossomed into an asset worth $3.7 billion, yielding a return of nearly 20,000%. Draper doesn't just see bitcoin as an investment; he is a fervent believer, calling it "the currency of the future" and a hedge against the devaluation of traditional currencies.
Michael Saylor: "The evangelist" of bitcoin
Estimated holdings (individual): 17,732 BTC
Estimated value (individual): $2.2 billion
If anyone deserves the title of "bitcoin evangelist", it is Michael Saylor. After his company MicroStrategy struggled during the dot-com bubble, Saylor rebirthed with a steadfast belief that bitcoin is the solution.
In 2020, he shocked Wall Street by deciding to convert most of his company's treasury into bitcoin. But it didn't stop there, Saylor also personally shelled out to purchase 17,732 BTC at an average price of around $16,000. This personal investment is now worth over $2.2 billion.
Saylor continuously promotes Bitcoin across all media, calling it "digital gold" and "the bank on the internet". Under his leadership, MicroStrategy has accumulated nearly 600,000 BTC, becoming the publicly traded company that holds the most bitcoin on the planet. He doesn't just invest in bitcoin; he lives and breathes it.
Changpeng Zhao (CZ): Architect of the trading empire
Estimated holdings: About 1,300 BTC (and a large amount of Binance Coin - BNB)
Estimated value (BTC only): $162.5 million
Although he holds the least bitcoin on this list, the influence of Changpeng Zhao (CZ), founder and former CEO of Binance, is undeniable. Most of his massive wealth comes from stakes in Binance and the BNB token, but its roots still stem from a bold decision with bitcoin.
In 2014, CZ sold his apartment in Shanghai to invest all his money in bitcoin. This all-in decision became the foundation for building Binance - the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world. Although his personal BTC holdings are relatively modest compared to other "whales" (around 1,300 BTC), they represent an initial belief that changed an entire industry.
From the mysterious shadow of Satoshi to publicly traded billionaires shaking up the market, these figures demonstrate: daring to bet early on bitcoin not only brings vast fortunes but also grants them the power to shape the future of global finance. They are the symbols of a rapidly rising digital currency era.