Recent data shows that institutions, ranging from ETFs to public companies, now control an unprecedented share of Bitcoin, worth hundreds of billions of dollars. Estimates place institutional ownership anywhere between 17 and nearly 31 percent of total supply when also factoring the amount controlled by governments.
Bitbo data shows private companies hold 426,237, worth $50.17 billion, and about 2.03% of the total circulating supply. BTC mining companies own 109,808 BTC (0.523% of the total circulating supply), while DeFi protocols own 267,236 BTC (1.273% of the total circulating supply).
Bitcoin’s rise in its early years was based on a mix of enthusiasm from retail investors and long-term conviction from early adopters, but the market’s balance of power is shifting. According to the holding data, Bitcoin is increasingly becoming much less affordable for retail traders and is now becoming a playground for large Wall Street institutions.
At the time of writing, Bitcoin was trading at $117,460.
Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView