Biggest bitcoin holders: who makes the ranking in 2026

Although bitcoin was designed as a decentralized asset, real ownership of coins today is concentrated among a relatively small group of major players — from the network's anonymous creator to exchanges, public companies, spot ETFs, and governments. Here's the current 2026 ranking of the biggest BTC holders.

1. Satoshi Nakamoto — roughly 1.096 million BTC

Bitcoin's anonymous creator remains the largest holder in the world: wallets linked to Satoshi are estimated to hold about 1.096 million BTC — roughly $72 billion at current prices. These coins haven't moved since the network's earliest years, and most analysts consider them effectively out of circulation.

2. Coinbase — roughly 970,000 BTC

The largest US exchange holds around 970,000 BTC across its wallets — mostly customer funds and assets belonging to bitcoin ETFs for which Coinbase acts as custodian, rather than the company's own reserves.

3. Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) — 845,256 BTC

Michael Saylor's company remains the world's largest corporate bitcoin holder: as of early June 2026, Strategy's balance sheet held 845,256 BTC — more than 4% of the coin's entire circulating supply.

4. BlackRock iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) — 766,412 BTC

BlackRock's flagship spot bitcoin ETF is the largest fund of its kind in the world: as of late June 2026, it held 766,412 BTC worth about $44 billion, making it the largest single bitcoin holder after Satoshi Nakamoto's wallets.

5. The US government — roughly 324,000 BTC

The US is the largest government holder of bitcoin: the coins were seized in connection with the Bitfinex exchange hack and the shutdown of the Silk Road marketplace, including a seizure from hacker James Zhong.

6. Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC) — roughly 201,815 BTC

The second-largest US spot bitcoin ETF, launched by Fidelity alongside BlackRock's fund in early 2024.

7. Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) — roughly 167,683 BTC

The oldest of the major bitcoin trusts, converted into a spot ETF in January 2024; despite heavy outflows in the months following conversion, it remains among the largest institutional holders.

8. The United Kingdom — roughly 61,245 BTC

The coins were seized by London's Metropolitan Police from Jian Wen and Zhimin Qian, convicted in a money-laundering case; law enforcement gained access to the wallets in July 2021.

9. Ukraine — roughly 46,351 BTC

Ukraine holds a notable position among government bitcoin holders, largely thanks to crypto donations received for defense and reconstruction needs since the start of the full-scale invasion.

What This Ranking Shows

The main takeaway from the 2026 ranking is a clear shift in the ownership structure of bitcoin toward institutional players: a few years ago, the biggest holders after Satoshi were mostly exchanges and early miners, but today spot ETFs (BlackRock, Fidelity, Grayscale) and public companies like Strategy buying BTC as a treasury reserve have firmly taken the top spots. That makes the coin's supply more sensitive to decisions by large institutional investors than ever before.

This material is for informational purposes only and is not investment advice.