As Bitcoin enters its 16th year on January 3rd, it has made over 100,000 individuals dollar millionaires, with data showing a nearly 300% increase in wallets containing at least $1 million worth of Bitcoin since the start of 2023. Celebrating its 15th birthday, Bitcoin now ranks as the world’s ninth most valuable asset, revealing significant details to investors.
Over the past fifteen years since the first block was mined, Bitcoin’s market value has soared to approximately $900 billion. The past year marked a renaissance for Bitcoin investors, as the cryptocurrency emerged from its longest bear market, gaining 160% in dollar value.
According to blockchain data analytics firm Glassnode, there are over 91,000 Bitcoin millionaires. This number of unique addresses with at least $1 million in balance has not yet reached the all-time high seen in November 2021 but is almost four times higher compared to January 3, 2023. Oliver Velez commented, “Let’s not forget that Bitcoin is the world’s ninth most valuable asset. I believe it will enter the top three by the end of 2025.”
Current figures continue to yield clear results for Bitcoin users and are not overlooked by industry leaders. Considering Bitcoin’s capped supply of 21 million units and the fact that several million may be irretrievably lost, Bitcoin could face a supply crunch if more of the world’s 60 million dollar millionaires decide to invest.
Investment advisory firm Henley & Partners suggested in a survey last September that there could be an additional 40,500 individuals with million-dollar fortunes in Bitcoin. CEO Dr. Juerg Steffen noted a significant increase in inquiries from crypto millionaires over the past six months, seeking a ‘Plan B’ to protect themselves from potential future bans on crypto trading or usage and to mitigate the risks of aggressive financial policies that tax digital assets at the source.
Henley also mentioned that there were only six Bitcoin billionaires as of September. Furthermore, Glassnode reported that the number of unique addresses holding at least 1 Bitcoin, known as wholecoiners, surpassed 1 million for the first time.
