The US spot bitcoin ETFs have passed Satoshi in total bitcoin held, now hold more than 1.1 million, more than anyone in the world

U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have reached a significant milestone, surpassing the Bitcoin holdings of the cryptocurrency's creator, Satoshi Nakamoto.

Following the historic launch of spot Bitcoin ETF trading in the U.S. in January, the ETFs have, for the first time, accumulated more than 1.1 million BTC, Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas noted on X (formerly Twitter) on Dec. 6, citing market analyst Shaun Edmondson.

“The U.S. spot ETFs have now surpassed Satoshi in total Bitcoin held, with more than 1.1 million BTC, more than anyone in the world. And they’re not even a year old yet – literally babies still. Mind-blowing,” Balchunas remarked.

Data from Bitcoin ETF observer HODL15Capital confirms this, reporting that as of Dec. 5, spot Bitcoin ETFs held 1,103,965 BTC.

Satoshi Nakamoto’s Bitcoin Holdings

Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin, is widely believed to hold approximately 1.1 million BTC across various addresses, representing about 5.2% of Bitcoin’s total 21 million coin supply. Nakamoto made the first BTC transaction in January 2009.

US Spot Bitcoin ETFs Outpace Other Major Holders

The combined Bitcoin holdings of U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs now exceed those held by the global exchange Binance by 42%. They also hold 63% more Bitcoin than MicroStrategy, one of the largest corporate holders of the asset.

Nakamoto’s Possible Death

While many in the crypto community have attempted to unmask Nakamoto’s true identity, some, including Mike Novogratz, CEO of crypto investment firm Galaxy Digital, believe that Nakamoto is no longer alive. In a CNBC interview on Dec. 5, Novogratz expressed confidence that Nakamoto has passed away.