Bitcoin’s (BTC/USD) about 60% surge in November cannot be attributed to the massive accumulation by institutions and individuals, as the narrative emerges that the ownership of the most favorite digital asset continues to remain in the hands of a few whales, Bloomberg reports, citing data from the researcher Flipside Crypto.
The research firm notes that about 2% of the anonymous ownership accounts control 95% of Bitcoin holdings. That structure points to the risk of big price swings if major investors offload some of their stakes.
Additional details
“A further breakdown shows that whales own 92.4% of the 2%, while crypto exchanges account for nearly 7%.”
“Exchanges accounted for 7.7% a year ago, while whales accounted for 92.3% of the biggest holders.”
Eric Stone, Head of data science at Flipside, said: “The story is that as the price has surged upwards lately, the concentration in the hands of the largest accounts has also risen” since July.”
“While whales continue to be a significant force behind the overall BTC market, it is always challenging to ascribe a narrative to a particular price swing. The most likely whale story today is that they’ll cautiously liquidate relatively small amounts of BTC over time, rather than risking a supply shock by liquidating larger chunks all at once,” Stone added.
Responding to the above Bloomberg story, via Twitter, Nouriel Roubini, an American economist nicknamed "Dr Doom" for his pessimistic predictions, said that “inequality Gini coefficient of Bitcoin is worse than the one of North Korea.”
2% of accounts control 95% of bitcoin assets. Inequality Gini coefficient of Bitcoin is worse than the one of North Korea where Mr Kim and his cronies controls most of the country assets!
— Nouriel Roubini (@Nouriel) November 28, 2020
Bitcoin Whales’ Ownership Concentration Is Rising During Rally https://t.co/cXbw5yC63R
Related reads
Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.
If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.
FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.
The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.
Recommended Content
Editors’ Picks
Will Dogecoin (DOGE) price pull an XRP and rally 60% next week?
Dogecoin price has been in a tight range bound movement since November 22. However, the recent recovery above the range low looks promising and hints at an explosive move for next week.
SEC Chair Gary Gensler’s latest call signals tough times ahead for crypto players
US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chair, Gary Gensler, has hinted at tough times ahead for crypto players. In his testimony before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Service and General Government, Gensler advocated for additional infrastructure.
Crypto firms' de-banking escalates as banks reject applications due to liquidity and regulatory concerns
The crypto market has been facing hurdle after hurdle since Q2 2022 when Three Arrows Capital collapsed, which worsened in November 2022 following the bankruptcy of FTX. This led to a number of crypto companies falling.
Making a case for Binance Bicasso NFTs playing catalyst to BNB price recovery, $357 incoming?
BNB price is up three days in a row despite the legal tussle between the largest exchange by trading volume, its CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ), and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
Bitcoin: Breaking down key BTC levels to accumulate for Q2, 2023
Bitcoin price shows an interesting outlook as the first quarter of 2023 comes to an end. BTC has shown strength since day one of 2023 and has netted investors approximately 70% in returns.