So, Alexes Nakamoto shared some data on Bitcoin ownership recently. If it’s legit, it shows how much BTC is held globally by institutions, exchanges, individuals, and even the coins that are lost. Curious to see how many people realize self-custody is still dominating, despite the hype around STRC and other coins.
If companies are stocking up on Bitcoin, that’s a win. Makes Bitcoin rarer and could stabilize prices, right? But we don’t want just a few corporations hoarding it all. It’s like how countries buy gold; we’ll see Bitcoin treated the same way, just a matter of time.
People get excited when big corporations buy into Bitcoin because it suggests the value will rise. Many of us are thinking long-term and will hold onto our BTC. I’m not worried about big companies taking over. They profit because of individual demand.
That chart showing individual ownership really caught my eye. It seems like the highest percentage is held by regular folks, which kind of proves Bitcoin’s decentralized nature. It’s accessible to everyone, preventing centralization, even by the whales.
51%? Why that number? Seems kinda sketchy if your concern is a 51% attack. If it’s not a worry, why not pick a different percentage like 30 or 70? Even if one entity held 51%, it can’t just roll back the blockchain.
Quick question... 💁 Why do so many believe that when institutions jump in, Bitcoin's price will skyrocket? I mean, it was at $69k in mid-2021 without all the hype from buys or ETFs. Now it’s around $80k, and I doubt it’s all due to institutional moves.
Sure, some of this data makes sense, but there’s a lot of guesswork too. Like, how many coins are really lost? If 56% is in private hands, that’s cool, but I wonder what it was like back in early 2020. I bet it was a lot higher.
But wait, do they even have the resources to control 51% of total supply? Seems like that’s linked to the whole 51% attack fear. If BTC’s average price is $80k, man, that’s a heavy investment.
Maybe we need to clarify what we mean by exchange vs miner vs individual ownership. If 56.2% is in self-custody, that’s a lot. But does that include centralized wallets? Legally, if you deposit BTC, it’s still yours.
Does it even matter though? Bitcoin isn’t a POS coin, so whether it’s individually or collectively held doesn’t impact network security. If we’re talking about mining pools, the convo might be done.
Haha, the lost BTC count is wild. Like 3.5M BTC is just gone! If you check current prices, that’s about 283.5 billion USDT locked away. Also, what about dormant wallets? Are they considered lost too?
I’ve never been a fan of ETFs, but I get they could help with adoption. Once all the Bitcoin is mined, they might matter more since people can invest without owning directly. The chart kinda supports this.
But isn’t that contradictory? Volatility is why some folks love Bitcoin. We hope it gets less volatile for companies to jump in, but is stability really what we want? A stable Bitcoin might not be better.
Why are we scared of institutions owning 51%? They’d take the biggest hit if Bitcoin crashes. They’ll protect their interests since they hold so much. An individual with a ton of Bitcoin is scarier since they could cash out anytime.
I’d bet most people here would ditch Bitcoin if it got stable. Let’s be real, most are in it for profit, not freedom. Would you really want a Bitcoin you don’t have to worry about? What’s the point then?
It’s complicated. Less volatility is good for Bitcoin as a currency but might hurt its value as an investment. For Bitcoin to mature, it’s gotta be less volatile, but not completely. Gotta find that balance.
Bitcoin is already mature. I used to think volatility was a sign of immaturity, but that’s just how it is. It’s not really used as money anyway. Look at El Salvador, that experiment flopped.
So what if 51% of BTC is in ETFs? That doesn’t give them control over the network, just market influence. The real issue is if Bitcoiners stop valuing self-custody; that’s when regulators gain power.
In the early days, volatility was kinda necessary. But over time, it should decrease. Nothing is truly stable, not even stablecoins, so expecting no volatility from Bitcoin is unrealistic.
I still think individual holders and self-custody dominate Bitcoin ownership. The best way to avoid government control is having your own keys, which means you can use your Bitcoin however you want.