Bitcoin (BTC) has come a long way in its 16-year journey. World leaders and financial experts laughed at the asset in its early days. Today, it is the best-performing asset of the last decade-and-a-half. BTC has also been accepted as legal tender in El Salvador and the Central African Republic.
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Everyone Wants Bitcoin
While only two countries accept BTC as legal tender, several governments hold massive amounts of the original cryptocurrency. BTC has also become a way for many countries to bypass Western sanctions. North Korea is home to one of the most notorious crypto hacker groups, Lazarus. Iran and Russia have also opened their doors to crypto.
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Let’s look at the three most significant Bitcoin (BTC) holders among global governments.
Top 3 Governments That Hold The Highest Amount Of BTC
1. United States Of America
The US is the largest BTC holder among all world governments. According to reports the US has about 207,189 BTC. The value of the coins owned by the US is around $17.32 billion. The US also holds BTC that was seized from various dark web sites, such as Silk Road.
2. China
According to Bitcoin Treasuries by Bitbo, China comes in 2nd place for the highest number of BTC owned by a government. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) reportedly owns 194,000 BTC. The value of the coins owned by the CCP is around $16.22 billion. China seems to be inching closer to the US in every facet of the financial industry.
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3. United Kingdom
UK takes third position with 61,000 Bitcoin (BTC) in its possession. The value of the BTC held by the US is around $5.10 billion. While the UK owns a significant amount of BTC, it is nowhere close to the number of coins owned by the US and China.
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