Thomas Daniels
The United States government currently holds the title as the preeminent Bitcoin custodian globally, amassing approximately $14.7 billion in Bitcoin (BTC) assets. According to recent data from Arkham, the U.S. treasury’s wallets contain 212,847 BTC, positioning it just slightly behind MicroStrategy’s holdings of 214,246 BTC, which are presently valued at $14.8 billion.
In addition to its Bitcoin portfolio, the U.S. has accrued substantial amounts of other cryptocurrencies, including Ethereum (ETH) and stablecoins such as USDC and Tether (USDT), with a combined market value nearing $200 million. The United Kingdom ranks as the second-largest national holder of Bitcoin, with holdings valued at nearly $4.2 billion, followed by Germany with Bitcoin assets worth around $3.4 billion. Notably, the data indicates that these nations do not possess significant amounts of other cryptocurrencies.
El Salvador, which has legalized Bitcoin as official currency, currently holds 5,717 BTC, valued at approximately $400 million. Despite substantial market losses in 2022, El Salvador has continued to expand its Bitcoin reserves and now reports a 50% profit on its holdings.
Since the beginning of 2023, the U.S. has increased its Bitcoin reserves by at least 5,000 BTC. This expansion primarily stems from seizures connected to criminal activities, including those related to the notorious Silk Road network, as well as legal actions against individuals like Jimmy Zhong and entities such as the Bitfinex hackers.
