Nakamoto Project data shows 49.6M American adults own Bitcoin, surpassing gold ownership at 28.8M.
Macro & Markets ·
Bitcoin ownership among American adults has reached 49.6 million people, or 18.6% of the population, according to the Nakamoto Project. This surpasses gold ownership, which stands at 28.8 million American adults or 10.8% of the population, per research cited by River.
The United States holds an outsized share of the global bitcoin ecosystem relative to its economic weight. American holders control approximately 42% of all bitcoin worldwide, a proportion that exceeds the country's 34% share of global wealth, 26% of global GDP output, and 4% of the world's population. Infrastructure concentration is similarly pronounced: 37.5% of Bitcoin's global hashrate operates within U.S. borders—more than the next five countries combined—and over 150 bitcoin companies maintain headquarters domestically alongside 50-plus mining operations drawing at least 10 megawatts each.
Institutional and governmental accumulation has also deepened American exposure. U.S. public companies hold 1.24 million BTC representing 92.7% of all bitcoin held by public companies globally, and added 510,000 BTC over the past 12 months. The federal government holds 328,372 BTC, nearly triple the holdings of all other governments combined. Whether these ownership and infrastructure advantages will persist remains uncertain as global adoption patterns evolve.