Own Bitcoin before it's impossible.
According to blockchain data, there are currently about 827,000-900,000 addresses holding at least 1 Bitcoin. However, many of these BTC wallets are controlled by exchanges, institutions, or individuals who split their Bitcoin holdings across multiple addresses. The actual number of individuals owning 1 BTC may be closer to 800,000-850,000.
👉 This is an extremely small group. Out of 8 billion people globally, this means owning 1 BTC applies to only 0.01%-0.02% of the population.
It is also unevenly distributed. By 2025, about 0.18% of cryptocurrency owners will actually hold all of Bitcoin or more, meaning fewer than two in every 1,000 cryptocurrency participants will reach the milestone of 1 BTC.
How Much Bitcoin Do You Need to Become Wealthy?
With Bitcoin's current price above $120,000, owning one of these coins is costlier than many can afford to risk.
To allocate $120,000 to a volatile asset like Bitcoin, you need both high income and strong conviction. An average person might admire Bitcoin from afar, but few can commit without taking on too much risk.
There are about 16 million millionaires globally, but in reality, fewer than 900,000 people hold 1 BTC or more. Therefore, owning 1 Bitcoin is rarer than becoming a millionaire. This will shift the question from "How much Bitcoin do you need to become wealthy?" to "What happens if you own 1 Bitcoin?" The answer: You are already in the elite.
Did you know? NFL star Odell Beckham Jr. converted his 2021 NFL salary to Bitcoin. His initial amount of $750,000 would be worth about $1.35 million after BTC surged to over $123,000 by mid-2025.
The Scarcity of Bitcoin: Still Not Enough for Everyone
Only 21 million exist - and most already have owners.
Satoshi Nakamoto designed Bitcoin with a hard cap of 21 million coins. As of mid-2025, over 19.8 million BTC have been mined through Bitcoin mining, leaving less than 1.2 million yet to be created. Coupled with lost coins and stored supply, the available Bitcoin will further diminish.
This is when things get tense. The richest players (whales) hold the majority. About 1.86% of total Bitcoin addresses control 90% of the supply. Major exchanges, early users, and custodial institutions dominate the ledger. Only four addresses holding between 100,000 and 1 million BTC own a total of 14% of the total coins. The top 100 addresses hold over 58%.
So if you're wondering, "Is owning 1 Bitcoin enough?" the answer is yes, because most people will never do so. With Bitcoin tax policies tightening and investing in Bitcoin becoming more competitive, achieving full coin status is no longer easy.
Did you know? The creator of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto, is believed to hold between 750,000 and 1.1 million BTC, with an estimated value of between $92 billion and $135 billion by mid-2025.
Bitcoin Ownership Will Be Unevenly Distributed by 2025
The global distribution of Bitcoin ownership highlights a profound access divide.
According to a 2024 Triple-A survey, about 6.8% of the global population — approximately 560 million people — own cryptocurrency. However, only a small group within this cohort holds enough BTC to achieve full coin status. Most own less than 0.01 BTC, further reinforcing that owning 1 BTC is still too far-fetched for the majority.
The barrier also lies in infrastructure. It is estimated that around 1.4 billion adults still do not have a bank account, with limited access to the internet, digital identity, or cryptocurrency services.
Even in areas where mobile money is popular, such as Sub-Saharan Africa or South Asia, users still face restrictions regarding KYC, high registration fees, or unclear Bitcoin tax regulations. This makes investing in Bitcoin nearly impossible for millions, despite its borderless promises.
Is Owning 1 BTC Enough? For Many, This Still Seems Too Risky
Psychological and behavioral barriers make it nearly impossible to fully own Bitcoin.
Even with access and capital, fear still lingers. The mining and trading of Bitcoin in 2025 has created severe price swings. From surging above $109,000 to plummeting back to mid-$70,000 in just weeks, Bitcoin's volatility can be paralyzing — especially for those unaccustomed to 20%-30% drops.
Aside from price volatility, Bitcoin still carries a reputation for speculation. For many, it remains a more volatile asset than a store of value.
Famous figures (Robert Shiller, Warren Buffett, George Soros) have labeled it everything from a bubble to a Ponzi scheme. Add to that organized manipulation cases, and it's no surprise many wonder whether owning 1 Bitcoin has long-term significance or is just a high-risk gamble.
Did you know? Some of the world's top investors have criticized Bitcoin as a bubble. Nobel laureate Robert Shiller called it the "most exemplary case of speculative frenzy"; Warren Buffett called it "rat poison squared"; and George Soros referred to it as "a typical bubble" at Davos (although later his fund explored cryptocurrency trading).
Owning Bitcoin in 2025: Here's How to Achieve That
There are strategies to achieve 1 BTC, but they still require time, risk, or capital.
The simplest path is to accumulate through dollar-cost averaging (DCA). By regularly investing a fixed amount, buyers can ride out volatility and gradually accumulate to own 1 BTC without the psychological pressure of making a large purchase.
Others use cryptocurrency yield-generating programs to increase returns, but these programs come with added risks.
For high-income individuals, accumulating a whole Bitcoin often just means reallocating disposable income. For companies like Strategy or Tesla, buying Bitcoin directly with reserves has turned them into "corporate whales" — evidence that owning a whole Bitcoin by 2025 will be easier when you operate on a large scale.
Access is also expanding. Spot Bitcoin ETF funds were launched in 2024, allowing people to buy Bitcoin through traditional brokerage accounts. These products — like BlackRock's IBIT and Fidelity's FBTC — have already garnered over $120 billion, providing new, tightly regulated investment channels for mainstream investors.