Bitcoin ownership has gradually become a major source of investments for major economic powers and countries around the world with some holding substantial amounts of the cryptocurrency while others possess relatively small quantities.
According to Riverlearn, 2.69% of the total BTC circulating is owned by governments across the world and is estimated at 565,749 BTC.
A report by Grand View Research also showed that as of 2022, the global cryptocurrency market was valued at $4.67 billion and is expected to increase to $11.71 billion by 2030.
World Governments can also possess ownership of Bitcoin by seizing it from citizens as a legal consequence for criminal activity, although most are private about the amount of bitcoin they possess and how they intend to use it.
There have been arguments however on the ownership of these Bitcoin assets due to the absence of hard evidence as a good volume of the funds were seized.
Top 10 countries with the most Bitcoin
The list below reveals the top 10 governments with the highest ownership of Bitcoin:
1. The United States
According to a finance publishing website CCN.com, the US has over the years, accumulated approximately 215,000 BTC which is at least $8.3 billion in Bitcoin — up from $5 billion recorded less than three months ago.
Most of the acquisition has been through law enforcement seizures since 2020.
According to Forbes, the U.S. Bitcoin assets have steadily been on the increase as the country enforces asset confiscation from complicit individuals.
2. China
The Chinese Government’s Bitcoin which is valued at 194,775 BTC was mainly acquired after it seized funds from the PlusToken Ponzi scheme. This was a Ponzi scheme that siphoned between $2 to $2.9 billion at the time.
The total value of the Bitcoin holdings is about $3.9 billion.
A Chinese court had ruled that all forfeited funds and the seized tokens “would be processed pursuant to laws” and “forfeited to the national treasury.”
3. United Kingdom
The UK has become a major player in the holding and trading of bitcoin ranking third globally in terms of the total value of bitcoins held by investors.
The UK Government currently holds about 61,000 BTC presently valued at $4 billion, which was confiscated from individuals Jian Wen and Zhimin Qian.
4. Germany
The German Government comes next in line with a bitcoin asset of 50,000BTC.
The asset worth $2.17 billion, was confiscated by the Police in Germany in 2018 making it the largest cryptocurrency seizure ever, according to a police statement.
At the head of the fraud were two men, aged 40 and 37, who were booked for running a piracy website until the end of 2013.
5. Ukraine
Over 5.5 million people in Ukraine own BTC making it 12.7% of Ukraine’s total population that currently owns digital currency
The Ukrainian government comes next as it privately holds roughly 46,351 BTC.
Like other countries, Ukraine authorities according to TheBlock.co, seized $1.5 million worth of crypto assets from Yury Shchigol, a former government official.
6. El Salvador
According to Coindesk, the country has 2,381 bitcoins in its treasury.
The country first started buying bitcoin in September 2021 and as of February 2024, El Salvador's bitcoin holdings are worth more than $147 million, indicating a profit of more than 40%.
The country's president, Nayib Bukele also noted that the country's main source of additional bitcoin was a program run by his government which offers expedited citizenship to interested immigrants who make a BTC "donation" to the government.
7. Bhutan
According to, Bitcointreasure.net service, the kingdom of Bhutan currently holds about 621 BTC (worth $26.41 million).
According to Forbes, the Kingdom began mining Bitcoin in April 2019, when the digital currency was valued at around $5,000. Since then, the price per Bitcoin has skyrocketed to approximately $28,000 with an all-time high of $65,000.
8. Venezuela
According to bitcointreasuries.net, the Venezuelan government reportedly holds about 240 BTC with 10.30% of the population owning Crypto
The country launched its version of Bitcoin, called the Petro in 2018 with hopes of helping the country ease spiraling inflation. Petro was unfortunately was shut down in 2022 after allegations of corruption scandals
9. Finland
The Finish government has also been recorded to own 90 BTC according to Bitcointreasuries.net.
Finland confiscated 1,889 bitcoins in 2018 seized in narcotics cases. The funds were forfeited to the country by a court ruling.
According to Bloomberg, Finland sold 1889.1 BTC from its confiscated stash in 2021, earning roughly $48 million. Finance Minister Annika Saariko hinted that the proceeds from the Bitcoin sale would be donated to Ukraine.
10. Georgia
The government of Georgia reportedly holds 66 BTC worth about $4,234,672 according to Bitcointreasuries.net.