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Countries that hold the most bitcoin

Bitcoin now recognized as key financial resource. Countries increasingly store it within state portfolios. Shift noticeable - once met with caution, now treated as valuable reserve. Attitudes transformed from skepticism toward institutional embrace. Here's a look at the top Bitcoin holders as of 2026.

1. United States of America

Leading global holdings sit in America, where 198,012 BTC are held. A significant portion of this digital stockpile, valued around $18 billion, arrived via high-profile legal seizures - among them, the dismantling of Silk Road and reclaimed assets from the Bitfinex breach. Since then, policy direction under Trump began tilting; Bitcoin moved slowly from forensic exhibit toward inclusion in broader financial reserves.

2. China

Even though trade rules are tight, China owns about 194,000 BTC. A large part arrived after authorities took control of funds linked to the 2019 PlusToken scam. Worth more than 17.6 billion dollars now, the stash remains under state oversight. Following legal actions that year, digital assets were moved into official custody without delay.

3. United Kingdom

Third globally stands the United Kingdom, holding 61,245 BTC. These entered state custody largely due to probes into illicit activity. A series of operations targeting complex financial concealment systems led to the acquisition. Years of enforcement actions contributed to the total. Judicial processes followed each seizure. Assets were transferred under legal authority. Quantity reflects outcomes of multiple case resolutions.

4. Ukraine

With 46,351 bitcoins held, Ukraine built its reserves mostly via international digital currency gifts aimed at rebuilding efforts after conflict. Such inflows highlight how Bitcoin can serve as critical funding when political instability strikes. Yet another example of assets shifting beyond traditional borders under pressure.

5. Bhutan

Bhutan ranks unexpectedly at number five, holding 11,286 BTC. Instead of confiscating digital assets, the country draws on plentiful hydropower. State-run facilities mine Bitcoin using this clean energy source. Power availability shapes national strategy in subtle ways.

6. UAE

A shift toward digital finance defines the nation’s path, where 6,348 BTC signals intent beyond mere investment. Positioning emerges through deliberate steps in shaping tomorrow’s economic structures.

7. El Salvador

Becoming the initial nation to accept Bitcoin legally, El Salvador holds 6,267 BTC. Though prices shift unpredictably, President Nayib Bukele continues purchasing a single unit each day.

8. North Korea Lazarus Group

Appearing without warning, the Lazarus Group - believed by some to have ties to North Korea’s state apparatus - holds roughly 804 BTC. These holdings trace back, per Chainalysis findings, not only to digital intrusions but also breaches within decentralized finance systems across global networks.

9. Venezuela

Despite ongoing financial turmoil, Venezuela has adopted Bitcoin to counter rapid currency devaluation, holding a small reserve of 240 BTC. Still, the nation's exposure stays limited amid broader economic challenges.

10. Finland

Once holding thousands of BTC seized in crime investigations, Finland moved to sell much of the stash. A mere 90 coins remain now, set aside not for profit but observation. This fragment stays under state control - less an asset, more a test case. What began as evidence ends as data point in fiscal policy.

This surge in worldwide Bitcoin acquisition marks a change in national attitudes toward digital money - no longer seen as uncertain experiment, but as part of long-term reserves. With its place in finance shifting steadily, current government positions could merely introduce broader state-level crypto approaches.

Venezuela Transfers Millions of Oil Barrels to the US

A fresh twist seems to be taking shape across Latin America. After a strike aimed at Caracas - so the report goes - and the capture and handover of Venezuela’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, along with his spouse, to U.S. custody, Washington under Trump supposedly set up a different financial setup down south.

Message From Truth Social

Back on January 6, news spread about Trump saying something big on Truth Social. His message said Venezuela’s temporary leadership plans to send the U.S. anywhere from 30 to 50 million barrels of good oil. This kind of oil used to be blocked by penalties during Maduro’s time in charge.

Trump reportedly stated: "This oil will be sold at market price. All proceeds will be under my direct control as US President to ensure these resources are used transparently, for the ultimate benefit of both the Venezuelan and American people."

Restarting the Energy Supply Chain

Talk of moving crude fast from a South American country to advanced U.S. refineries has emerged through reports by Reuters. Officials tied to government circles, oil firms, and maritime shippers say discussions at the top level have already started. Speed matters here - getting raw petroleum across borders quickly could reshape parts of the energy picture. While details remain thin, those involved suggest timing plays a critical role. Upgrades in processing capacity back home make such efforts more practical now than before. Progress hinges on coordination between distant players who do not always align. Still, momentum seems to be building behind closed doors. Decisions made soon may influence how fuel flows in coming months. Talks continue without public announcements so far. Behind-the-scenes movement points toward something taking shape quietly.

A US oil industry expert was quoted as saying: "President Trump is pushing for this process to happen immediately. He wants to turn this into a resounding political and economic victory, demonstrating the effectiveness of his hardline foreign policy."

President-El Salvador-allin-Bitcoin

Not long ago, El Salvador made waves by making crypto official money. Now, guided by President Nayib Bukele, it reaches further into tech’s future. Right after nailing down a key deal with the IMF, this small country swings big again. Its latest play? Betting on two forces at once - Bitcoin and artificial intelligence. These tools are meant to shape how the nation builds wealth and progress. One fuels finance, the other powers innovation. Both get top priority.

The 1.4 Billion Dollar IMF Loan

One moment tension filled the air; now relief settles as El Salvador secures backing from the IMF - $1.4 billion in funding finally approved. Surprisingly, what once was resistance has softened into cautious approval, with officials pointing out how Bitcoin helped boost parts of the economy.

A sudden surge in funding gives El Salvador breathing room on foreign debts, while quietly handing President Bukele leverage to push ahead with sweeping tech upgrades across government systems. Though framed as economic support, the influx acts less like aid and more like political fuel, clearing hurdles for bold online infrastructure shifts.

Steadfast Bitcoin Strategy: "Not Speculation, But National Reserves"

Frozen markets didn’t stop El Salvador - since 2021, it kept buying Bitcoin anyway. Yet global watchers doubted every step along the way.

So far, the nation has gathered close to 7,500 Bitcoin. That stacks up to about 660 million dollars right now.

Looking ahead, officials insist Bitcoin isn’t meant for quick gains based on market swings. Rather than chasing volatility, it's seen as part of long-term financial backing. Holding BTC fits within broader plans to strengthen economic resilience over time.

Still, Bukele insists price swings are just part of doing business - never proof of broken strategy. Slowly, trust builds. The nation’s standing among crypto backers grows stronger by the month.

Beyond Blockchain El Salvador Looks to Artificial Intelligence

A fresh move by El Salvador doesn’t linger on blockchain alone. Now, stepping into what powers much of today’s change - Artificial Intelligence takes center stage.

Out front, President Bukele pushes AI straight into how things run - every level, every system. Not just services, but shaping how money moves across the country too. Instead of old ways, there’s now a sharp turn toward machines that learn and adapt. Running alongside it, blockchain adds clear records through Bitcoin. Performance jumps when smart algorithms take part. Some say it feels like early signs of something big forming down south. This mix might spark what others have only tried before. A tech shift grows quietly beneath routine headlines.

Putting faith in Bitcoin and AI, President Nayib Bukele shows El Salvador aims to move faster than before. Backed by IMF funds along with steady tech planning, the country works toward shaping how money and innovation might blend ahead. While others wait, this small nation pushes forward quietly.

Unreasonable Silver Price Fluctuations, Elon Musk Unexpectedly Speaks Out

The precious metals market is witnessing a dramatic surge as silver prices have skyrocketed in a short period, surprising many investors. This surge has not only attracted the attention of the financial world but has also spread to the technology community, after Elon Musk unexpectedly posted a status update alluding to the "irrationality" of silver price fluctuations, sparking a heated discussion on social media.

According to analysts, the sharp rise in silver prices stems from demand for inflation hedging, expectations of interest rate cuts, and tight supply conditions as silver is increasingly used in batteries, solar energy, and electric vehicles. Elon Musk's statement – ​​a figure with significant market influence – further fueled FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), driving a surge in trading volume and making silver a new focal point on the map of safe-haven assets.

Average returns of the top 10 tokens per trend in the crypto market.

Instead of focusing on the steady but slow growth of Bitcoin smart money is currently flooding into sectors with much higher breakout potential to optimize investor returns. Leading the pack is decentralized artificial intelligence where AI agents and computational infrastructure are creating tangible value far beyond purely speculative assets.

Additionally the tokenization of Real World Assets known as RWA is becoming a magnet for major financial institutions by bringing real estate and government bonds on-chain allowing massive traditional capital to flow into the crypto market.

Finally the Solana ecosystem cannot be overlooked with its decentralized physical infrastructure projects and next-generation memecoin culture providing exceptional liquidity and rapid wealth multiplication. Identifying these dominant narratives rather than just holding Bitcoin is the key for investors to truly print money and achieve a position shift in the current market cycle.

Risk-on sentiment prevails, AI stocks propel Wall Street upward

The half-day trading session before Christmas (morning of December 24th, US time) closed with Wall Street continuing to be in positive territory, marking the fifth consecutive day of gains for major indices. Despite low liquidity due to the holiday, risk appetite remained dominant in the market.

The main driving force came from expectations that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will lower interest rates next year, boosting investor confidence in the economic outlook and corporate earnings. In this context, capital tended to flow back into growth assets, especially those related to artificial intelligence (AI).

After a short-term correction, AI stocks once again played a leading role, contributing to the overall market rally. Large technology companies benefited from expectations of continued AI demand expansion in 2025, despite previous concerns about valuations.

Overall, despite low trading volume, the positive performance of the pre-Christmas session shows that investor confidence remains strong, with expectations of a more favorable interest rate environment providing support for the stock market in the coming period.

Penalties for trading crypto on unlicensed exchanges are about to be drastically increased.

In the latest move to strengthen management and transparency in the digital asset market, a proposal has been put forward to significantly increase administrative penalties for individuals and organizations participating in cryptocurrency trading on exchanges not licensed to operate in Vietnam.

This is not just an adjustment in penalties, but a strong signal that regulatory agencies are determined to "shelter" the flow of crypto into a regulated, supervised, and legally protected playing field.

Nature and Objectives of the Proposal
This proposal directly targets trading on international exchanges that lack legal entity status or operating licenses in Vietnam – where the majority of Vietnamese investors operate. The main objectives of increasing penalties are:
To create a deterrent and minimize risks for investors: By increasing penalties, regulators want to warn users about the potential risks of trading on "outside the law" platforms, where they are not legally protected in case of disputes, fraud, or exchange failures.

To promote the development of domestic exchanges: This is a strategic move. As trading on unlicensed exchanges becomes riskier and more expensive, users will be motivated to switch to licensed domestic exchanges (in the future). This will help create a vibrant, easily regulated, and tax-collecting domestic market.
Enhanced State Management Efficiency: Concentrating users on licensed exchanges will make it easier for authorities to monitor money flows, prevent money laundering (AML), combat counter-terrorism financing (CTF), and effectively enforce tax policies.

Potential Impact on the Vietnamese Crypto Community
If this proposal is approved and implemented, it will create significant changes in investor behavior:
Large-scale shift of funds: There will be a wave of users and assets moving from large international exchanges such as Binance, OKX, Bybit... to licensed domestic platforms.

Increased demand for decentralized (DeFi) solutions: A segment of investors seeking anonymity and to avoid regulation may increasingly turn to decentralized exchanges (DEXs) and self-custody solutions. However, this requires users to have higher technical knowledge.

Challenges for international exchanges: International exchanges wanting to retain Vietnamese users may have to expedite the licensing process and establish legal entities in Vietnam to comply with regulations.
Conclusion: A necessary step in the legal roadmap

The proposed increase in penalties is a logical and necessary step in the roadmap to perfecting the legal framework for crypto assets in Vietnam, which has already begun with the imposition of a 0.1% tax. It shows a long-term vision of the regulators: not prohibition, but strict regulation. Although it may cause initial disruption and difficulties for the community, in the long run, creating a transparent, safe, and legally recognized playing field will be the foundation for the sustainable development of the entire market.

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Goldman Sachs: Gold could reach $5,000 per ounce by 2026.

In a recently published analytical report, the world's leading investment bank, Goldman Sachs, has made a market-shaking forecast: gold prices could not only break current records but also move toward a new "supercycle," with a potential price target of nearly $5,000 per ounce as early as 2026. This extremely optimistic forecast is not a mere sentiment, but is built on the convergence of several macroeconomic factors and strong market structures.

The main drivers behind gold's "supercycle".According to Goldman Sachs analysts, there are three main drivers that will propel gold prices to unprecedented highs:

The global monetary easing cycle: This is the most crucial factor. Goldman Sachs forecasts that the US Federal Reserve (Fed) and other major central banks around the world will enter a longer and more aggressive interest rate cutting cycle than expected to combat the risk of economic recession. As interest rates fall, the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding assets like gold decreases, simultaneously weakening the US dollar and making gold more attractive to global investors.

Massive and relentless demand from central banks: The wave of de-dollarization is stronger than ever. Central banks, particularly in emerging economies led by China, are continuously and quietly increasing their gold reserves to diversify assets and reduce reliance on the US dollar. Goldman Sachs believes this trend will not end anytime soon and will create a stable, massive buying force, acting as a solid price floor for gold.

Rising geopolitical instability and public debt: The world is facing an increasingly complex and unpredictable geopolitical environment, from military conflicts to trade tensions. Along with this, the public debt levels of developed countries have reached record highs. In this context, gold, as a proven "safe haven" over millennia, will become an indispensable choice in the investment portfolios of both large institutions and individual investors.

Impact on the Market. Goldman Sachs' forecast, if realized, would not only be good news for gold holders. It would also be a warning sign of an uncertain global economic future where the value of fiat currencies could be severely eroded. A price close to $5,000 per ounce would completely redefine gold's role in the modern financial system, not just as a hedge but also as a powerful growth asset.

Silver is historically undervalued compared to gold.

It's not gold. Silver is the metal that's been quietly making the strongest surge in the market recently. And what's noteworthy is that this increase isn't due to FOMO, but rather to very real, very "solid" driving forces.

Silver is not just a safe-haven asset – it's a strategic raw material. While gold is mostly kept in safes and reserves, silver is genuinely "consumed." More than 50% of global silver demand comes from industry: Solar panels, Electric vehicles,Semiconductor chips. High-tech medical and electronic equipment. The energy transition isn't a trend – it's a mandatory policy, and silver is an irreplaceable metal in many core applications.

Supply can't keep up with demand – a persistent shortage.
Contrary to the belief that "mining more metals will solve the problem," global silver production has remained almost stagnant for many years.
New mines are difficult to open and expensive.
Silver is mainly a byproduct of copper, lead, and zinc mining, making it impossible to increase production arbitrarily.
Meanwhile, industrial demand is steadily and sustainably increasing, creating a prolonged physical deficit – something that financial markets cannot fake.

Silver is historically undervalued compared to gold. The Gold-Silver Ratio (gold/silver) has previously exceeded extreme levels. This implicitly suggests that silver is significantly cheaper than its true value compared to gold. In previous cycles, whenever this ratio reversed, silver typically rose faster and more strongly than gold – because it is both a precious metal and an industrial commodity.

Smart money is starting to shift. When gold has risen for a long time, large amounts of money tend to seek out assets with a “higher beta version” – and silver is a natural choice.
Greater volatility → higher potential returns → attracts both speculative and hedging capital flows. The story of silver is the story of a “new era”. Long-term inflation. Energy transition. Technological revolution. Fiat currency confidence crisis. Silver sits right at the intersection of precious metals + technology metals. Not as glamorous as gold, but used – consumed – and increasingly scarce.

"playing poor" is the best way to protect yourself ?

A serious incident recently occurred in Vienna, Austria, sending chills down the spines of the crypto community.
The victim was Danilo Kuzmin (21 years old), the son of a high-ranking official in Kharkiv, Ukraine. According to investigations, simply because he was believed to be from a family that had become wealthy through crypto, Danilo became the target of a deliberate kidnapping aimed at seizing his digital assets. Initial information from authorities indicates: Danilo was approached in the underground parking lot of a large hotel in Vienna, at a time when many people were present (recorded by security cameras).

A suspect identified as an old acquaintance had previously told Danilo about his family's large crypto holdings. The victim was held captive and forced to provide access information to his cryptocurrency wallet. The situation then escalated dramatically, leading to Danilo's tragic death in his family's car. Police confirmed that a large amount of crypto assets were withdrawn from the family's wallet around the time of the incident. Two suspects (Ukrainian nationals, 19 and 45 years old) were arrested while attempting to flee to Odessa, through a joint operation between Ukrainian forces and Europol.

The motive was clearly identified: money. In a short period, a series of incidents involving crypto and violence occurred in various locations, from Dubai to Vienna, revealing a very real dark side of public wealth in the digital asset world. The lesson is never old: Don't flaunt your wealth. Don't talk too much about the crypto you hold. In some cases, "playing poor" is the best way to protect yourself. Crypto offers financial freedom, but personal security is the greatest asset.