How many people own Bitcoin worldwide?

Bitcoin owners: Best-available estimates and what they mean

There isn’t one universally accepted number for Bitcoin owners. Different studies measure different things – like people, accounts or addresses – and they use different datasets. If you see a single, confident number with no explanation of how it was calculated, it’s usually missing key context.

A 2024 survey-based study estimated 467 million people globally own (or have some exposure to) Bitcoin. Unfortunately, this research only extends to the number of owners up until the end of 2023. This can be a useful benchmark, but it also highlights a key point: Ownership estimates can lag and can change depending on methodology.

Check out our beginner’s guide to using Bitcoin

What counts as owning Bitcoin?

1. Holding through a platform (custodial holding)

This is when you buy Bitcoin in an app or exchange and the service holds it on your behalf. You can usually see your balance and move it, but the underlying Bitcoin may be stored in pooled wallets that represent many customers.

2. Holding in a self-custody wallet

This is when you control the wallet’s private keys yourself. This can be a mobile, desktop or hardware wallet. In this case, ownership is tied to whoever controls the keys – but the blockchain still only shows addresses, not identities.