Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are now the largest holders of the leading cryptocurrency, surpassing the amount held by creator Satoshi Nakamoto.
The dozen U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs now collectively own more than $100 billion U.S. of the digital asset.
Combined, the funds own slightly more than 1.1 million Bitcoin, equal to about 5% of all the Bitcoin in existence.
The Bitcoin ETFs own more of the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization than its founder Satoshi Nakamoto (a pseudonym), who is believed to control 1.1 million Bitcoin.
According to Bloomberg News, the 10 largest holders of Bitcoin are as follows:
1. U.S. Spot ETFs: 1,104,534
2. Satoshi Nakamoto: 1,100,000
3. Binance: 633,000
4. MicroStrategy: 402,100
5. U.S. Government: 198,109
6. China Government: 194,000
7. Bitfinex: 184,027
8. Kraken: 158,959
9. Block One: 164,000
10. Robinhood: 142,361
Bitcoin now accounts for about 1% of all assets under management (AUM) in the entire ETF sector, which currently stands at about $10 trillion U.S.
The Bitcoin ETFs that track the price movements of the cryptocurrency and do not require investors to physically hold the asset in a digital wallet have proven extremely popular.
Analysts expect more Bitcoin ETF inflows in 2025 as a growing number of institutions gain exposure to cryptocurrencies.
Some analysts are even speculating that Bitcoin ETFs will surpass gold ETFs in the year ahead.
Currently, spot Bitcoin ETFs have a little more than $100 billion U.S. of assets under management, while physical gold ETFs have about $125 billion U.S. in assets.
The price of Bitcoin is currently at $97,500 U.S., having risen 120% on the year.
