In recent weeks, there has been an increase in the number of first-time Bitcoin buyers; however, the difficulties in acquiring a full BTC remain high.
Number of New Bitcoin Holders
Blockchain analytics firm Glassnode has reported that over the past week, new buyers have increased their holdings by roughly 50,000 BTC. As a result, the total supply owned by newcomers has approached nearly 5 million coins.
Challenges of Acquiring Full BTC
Despite this influx, acquiring a whole Bitcoin has become increasingly difficult. A study by CoinGecko revealed that only around 1 million wallet addresses worldwide hold at least 1 BTC — a number that has barely grown since 2018. Most of these 'whole coiners' bought in during Bitcoin’s early days when the asset traded near $1,000. The surge in institutional adoption since 2024 has only intensified the challenge, concentrating more coins in fewer hands.
Industry News
Taking into account lost keys, exchange reserves, and institutional holdings, analysts estimate fewer than 4 million BTC are realistically available to the public. This scarcity turns owning a full Bitcoin into a milestone of status rather than necessity, especially as price models predict that single coins could eventually be worth between $500,000 and $1 million.
Thus, despite the growing interest from new buyers, the real access to a full Bitcoin remains a significant challenge in the current market conditions.
