Which countries and companies have created a Bitcoin reserve and why?

Companies, private investors and even governments can create bitcoin reserves as an alternative to gold, fiat currencies and other traditional assets.

What is a strategic Bitcoin reserve and what are its benefits?

A strategic bitcoin reserve is a stockpile of cryptocurrency designed to achieve long-term goals such as capital preservation and diversification of investment risks. The use of a bitcoin reserve can be part of the investment strategy of individuals and financial organizations.

The first and one of the key benefits of creating a bitcoin reserve would be protection against high inflation, which makes BTC a suitable asset for capital preservation. In this, bitcoin is similar to gold: the BTC cryptocurrency also has a limited reserve (maximum 21 million), and its mining utilizes huge (in this case, computing) resources.

As historical data shows, fiat money loses its purchasing power over time. Looking at Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, over the past decade, the US dollar has declined by about 23% and the euro by 20%.

Over the same period, the purchasing power of bitcoin has increased more than 130 times. If we compare it to gold, in 2015, 1 BTC could buy 0.5 to 1 ounce, and in 2025 — already 30-35 ounces.

Bitcoin is of particular importance in countries with unstable economies, such as hyperinflation, which leads to a rapid weakening of the national currency.

At the same time, unlike gold, bitcoin does not require high-tech storage facilities, virtual assets cannot be confiscated, as access to bitcoin storage exists only for the owners of the private key of the cryptocurrency wallet. This makes bitcoin an even more valuable asset than gold.

The second advantage is the lack of restrictions from the outside. For example, banks can block transfers and entire accounts in fiat currencies, seize funds, or disconnect from interbank financial communication channels such as SWIFT, which limits the ability to make cross-border transactions.

Bitcoin is decentralized and the operation of its protocol is supported by a network of miners distributed around the world, making the ability to block transactions an extremely difficult venture. No regulator or other centralized body can seize bitcoins, freeze cryptocurrency wallets, or otherwise restrict any activity with bitcoins held by an investor or company.

Also, the use of bitcoin in addition to other assets held in reserve serves as a diversification tool that reduces risks to capital and is one of the main principles of investment. The more assets an investor or organization's portfolio contains, the less its dependence on any particular asset.

However, it should be noted that bitcoin still remains a rather volatile asset, the rate of which can significantly collapse in a short period of time and can be influenced by negative factors, and in case of loss of the private key to the wallet coins will be irretrievably lost.

The largest bitcoin reserves in the world are

Satoshi Nakamoto (~988,000 BTC)

There are many theories as to who the real creator of bitcoin is, but so far this information has not been confirmed, however, it is Satoshi Nakamoto who is the owner of the largest bitcoin reserve to date.

Nevertheless, small transactions are occasionally made from the alleged bitcoin creator's alleged wallets, which hold a total of 988,000 BTC worth $85 billion (at the time of writing).

Microstrategy (499,000 BTC)

MicroStrategy, founded by well-known bitcoin advocate Michael Saylor, owns the largest crypto reserve among companies: it owns about 499,000 BTC worth nearly $42 billion.

MicroStrategy has been buying bitcoins regularly since 2020 as part of its own investment strategy, continuing to build its reserve and not selling the cryptocurrency.

Grayscale (300,000 BTC)

Despite the fact that Grayscale is not even one of the top 10 largest investment firms in the world, it was one of the first to launch its own Bitcoin-ETF in the first quarter of 2024 and own one of the largest bitcoin reserves at 300,000 BTC (~$25 billion).

Moreover, the first publicly traded bitcoin fund in the US called Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) was launched back in 2015, but did not receive regulatory approval at that time.

United States (214,000 BTC)

According to various estimates, the U.S. government already owns a bitcoin reserve of over 210,000 BTC, which is valued at $17.9 billion. Some of the assets that make up the U.S. reserve consist of assets seized from Silk Road and Bitfinex. Some members of the U.S. government have proposed increasing the strategic reserve to 1,000,000 BTC.

On March 6, 2025, US President Donald Trump even signed an executive order creating a strategic national reserve in bitcoins and other crypto assets. This decree caused such a strong reaction in the US administration that bitcoin is considered a real threat to traditional financial systems and the dollar itself.

El Salvador, which first legalized the BTC cryptocurrency as a means of payment, also has its own bitcoin reserve. However, the size of El Salvador's reserve is much more modest compared to the U.S. and amounts to about 6,100 BTC worth $513 million.

China (190,000 BTC)

China is not far behind the U.S. in terms of bitcoin reserve size: the Chinese government's wallets hold about 190,000 BTC worth about $16 billion, some of which were confiscated from the organizers of the PlusToken fraud scheme.

Although the exact number of bitcoins owned by China is not precise due to the complexity of estimation, it is known that this country is among the top five largest owners of the first cryptocurrency.

Conclusion

Bitcoin reserve can become a safety cushion for investors, companies and entire states, as well as a "lifeline" from inflation and unstable economies, especially in times of crisis.

Since its creation, the world's first cryptocurrency has demonstrated steady growth in the long term, and its volatility (the level of price fluctuations) is gradually decreasing as market capitalization and liquidity of the digital asset market grows, making BTC an increasingly reliable asset for creating a strategic reserve, including diversification.

As the number of bitcoin users increases amid the launch of the Bitcoin-ETF and growing loyalty from regulators, more and more major investors and financial institutions are looking at bitcoin as a reserve asset.