As a seasoned crypto investor with a keen interest in the Bitcoin market, I find the recent surge in Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) truly remarkable. The collective holding of 1,002,343 BTC by these ETFs is an impressive milestone, equivalent to the holdings of Satoshi Nakamoto himself.


As of May 24th, a total of 1,002,343 Bitcoin have been amassed in all Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs), with approximately one third of this amount held by US-based ETFs, which number 32 in total.

Michael Saylor, the executive chairman of MicroStrategy, highlighted in a recent update that the combined holdings of the 32 Bitcoin spot ETFs now equal the estimated bitcoin stash of Satoshi Nakamoto.

US Spot Bitcoin ETFs Dominate

Approximately 5% of the global Bitcoin supply is held in this particular stash, with an estimated value of around $70.5 billion. A large portion of these Bitcoins can be found within U.S.-based Spot Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs), which debuted in January and have since broken previous records for ETF performance.

Approximately 53% of the Bitcoin held by Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) is managed by the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust and BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust. The former currently holds around 289,040 BTC, while the latter manages slightly less with 287,168 BTC.

32 #Bitcoin Spot ETFs now hold ~1 Nakamoto of $BTC
— Michael Saylor (@saylor) May 27, 2024

Some well-known Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) based in the United States include Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Trust (FBTC), holding approximately 161,538 Bitcoin; Ark 21Shares Bitcoin ETF (ARKB) with around 48,444 Bitcoin; and Bitwise Bitcoin ETF (BITB) having about 36,185 Bitcoin in their trusts. Notable newcomers, such as VanEck Bitcoin Trust (HODL) and Valkyrie BTC ETF (BRRR), have also added significant amounts to the total Bitcoin holdings.

Globally, Canada’s Purpose Bitcoin ETF tops the list with 27,110 Bitcoins, followed closely by Germany’s ETC Group Physical Bitcoin Fund with 21,005 Bitcoins. The recent debut of Bitcoin ETFs in Hong Kong has contributed an additional 3,553 Bitcoins to this collective holding.

Growth and Long-Term Potential

Beginning in January, these Bitcoin spot ETFs have seen significant trading activity, outpacing the results of earlier exchange-traded funds. According to first-quarter reports, over $4.1 billion in assets are managed by large investors and institutions, such as hedge funds, banks, and Wisconsin’s pension fund, accounting for approximately 20% of U.S. exposure to Bitcoin spot ETFs.

Expert: In a recent interview, Bitwise Industries’ Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan expressed optimism regarding the future potential of spot Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs). He estimated that these types of ETFs could represent anywhere from one to five percent of the total US ETF market, which currently stands at approximately $7 trillion. In other words, he believes the market for US spot Bitcoin ETFs could reach hundreds of billions of dollars.

As a financial analyst, I would explain that by investing in a Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF), I can gain access to the price movements of Bitcoin without having to directly buy and store the cryptocurrency myself. These funds operate similarly to traditional ETFs, making them an attractive option for institutions and investors who may find it challenging or impractical to purchase Bitcoin through a crypto exchange.

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2024-05-28 14:12