How Many People Around the World Own Bitcoin? Starting from Bitcoin's 433rd "Death"
In the article "Bitcoin Whitepaper Published 13 Years Ago — Will It Still Be the Bitcoin You Know in the Future?" , first released by OKX Academy on October 1 this year, we provided a brief overview of Bitcoin's price trajectory since its inception, its growing market cap, the development of on-chain trading, and the increasing attention it has drawn from the traditional financial world. However, as is the case with all emerging technologies, Bitcoin — this highly imaginative and innovative "disruptor" in the financial world — has not had a smooth ride over the past decade or more. Alongside its devoted followers, there has been no shortage of naysayers who doubted Bitcoin from the very beginning. Yet through this ongoing "game of博弈" and setbacks, Bitcoin not only broke out of the tech-geek echo chamber to capture global attention, but has also exerted a profound influence on the traditional financial world. Even though Bitcoin has proven its resilience and formidable force for change (at least for now), the critics have not fallen silent. From 2010 to the present, opponents from around the world have issued hundreds of Bitcoin "obituaries ." In today's content, let's set aside the Bitcoin price that everyone is so eager to discuss and instead dive into the topic of Bitcoin's many "deaths " to see how many people have already made Bitcoin a part of their asset allocation.
Bitcoin's 433rd "Death"
According to blockchain news site 99bitcoins, as of November 15, 2021, Bitcoin had been declared "dead" 433 times by critics worldwide.
Bitcoin "obituary" count since 2010, source: 99bitcoins
On December 15, 2010, Bitcoin received its first obituary. An underground economist published an article titled "Why Bitcoin Cannot Become a Currency," arguing that Bitcoin's only chance of survival was its novelty — it would either stay fresh forever or die quickly. At the time, Bitcoin's price was a mere $0.23. Today, even using this past week's lowest Bitcoin price of $58,300 as a benchmark, that represents a gain of 253,478 times over 11 years. Unfortunately, the website that published the article no longer exists.
Before 2013, because Bitcoin was too niche, only 8 obituaries about it had been recorded. Between 2014 and 2016, as Bitcoin's price oscillated in the hundreds of dollars range, the annual obituary count remained steady at 28 to 39 articles.
Bitcoin "deaths" by year from 2010 to 2021, source: 99bitcoins, chart: OKX
In 2017, Bitcoin became the next big trend as funds of all kinds poured into digital assets, and Bitcoin ushered in its second major bull market in history. As Bitcoin's price broke through $10,000 that year, the voices issuing Bitcoin obituaries transitioned from mainstream media outlets like Forbes, CNN, The Washington Post, and Yahoo Finance to prominent individuals. When Bitcoin reached $11,831, former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said Bitcoin reminded him of currency issued during America's colonial era that ultimately proved worthless. Nobel laureate in economics Paul Krugman also expressed bearish views when Bitcoin's price hit $17,640.
In 2017, Bitcoin received a record 124 obituaries — 3.4 times the number from the previous year. Then in 2018, Bitcoin drew the attention of former world richest man Bill Gates and the Oracle of Omaha, Warren Buffett, both of whom came out publicly to short the asset. Buffett's quip that "Bitcoin is rat poison squared," along with his friend Charlie Munger's characterization of Bitcoin as "a有害毒药" (harmful poison), are remarks that still get brought up from time to time to this day.
Despite receiving over 400 obituaries, Bitcoin's "anti-fragile " nature means that after each blow, it not only failed to fall into decline but bounced back even higher than before. Today, Bitcoin has long surpassed a trillion-dollar market cap, ranking among the top five assets globally.
How Many People Around the World Own Bitcoin?
According to a survey released on the 12th of this month by Pew Research Center, an independent American research organization, approximately 16% of Americans have invested in, traded, or used Bitcoin, with this figure jumping to 31% among those aged 18–29. The survey group also asked respondents whether they had heard of Bitcoin. The results showed that nearly a quarter (24%) of respondents said they had heard a lot about Bitcoin and digital assets, while nearly two-thirds (62%) said they had heard something about Bitcoin or digital assets. Only about one in eight (13%) said they knew nothing about Bitcoin or other digital assets.
By way of comparison, in 2015, Pew Research Center conducted a similar survey asking respondents whether they had invested in, traded, or used Bitcoin. The results were dramatically different from the most recent findings — back then, only about 1% of respondents said they had invested in Bitcoin, while a staggering 48% said they had never even heard of Bitcoin.
Additionally, according to Coinbase's recently released Q3 earnings report, the platform had a total of 73 million registered users as of the end of September 2021, a gain of 5 million from Q2. Compared against the US total population of 329 million, that represents approximately 23.7%. However, it should be noted that under Coinbase's current terms of service, it is available for registration in 100 countries and regions. Taking into account the varying economic levels and population sizes across different countries, the Pew Research Center's finding that 16% of Americans have invested in, traded, or used Bitcoin does carry some reference value. Media reports also indicate that the UK Bitcoin-holding population exceeded 5% by the end of 2020, roughly 3.4 million people. Meanwhile, the number of South Korean users participating in Bitcoin investment reached 5.09 million as of January 2018 — two-thirds the number of stock investors at the time.
We can also use the "Diffusion of Innovation curve" to further estimate the current number of global Bitcoin investors. This curve consists of five segments: "Innovators (2.5%)," "Early Adopters (13.5%)," "Early Majority (34%)," "Late Majority (34%)," and "Laggards (16%)." According to the Diffusion of Innovation theory, the UK is in the "Early Adopters" stage, while the US and South Korea have entered the "Early Majority" stage.
Diffusion of Innovation curve model, image source: internet
However, these three countries do have relatively well-developed cryptocurrency services, so their adoption rates will inevitably far exceed the global average. Using a different calculation method: with a global population of 7.875 billion, internet users totaling 5.053 billion, and assuming 100 million digital asset investors worldwide, the penetration rate of digital asset investors among internet users would be 1.98%, and among the global population it would be 1.28% — meaning we are still in the "Innovators" stage. For Bitcoin, there exists a significant chasm between "Early Adopters" and "Early Majority," and 16% (2.5% Innovators + 13.5% Early Adopters) is the inflection point we need to cross. Considering that global internet penetration was only 16% in 2005 and has now reached 64%, as technology continues to advance, the time required to transition from slow growth to rapid takeoff will only shorten further. Therefore, we believe that Bitcoin's entry into mainstream society may well be entering a countdown phase — meaning more and more people will come to understand and accept Bitcoin as an asset allocation option.
Conclusion
Of course, due to the anonymity of the Bitcoin network and the various uncertainties — both existing and potential — that exist on a global scale, the above content may not be able to fully reflect the current state of Bitcoin and other digital assets in today's world. It is merely an attempt, based on publicly available data and relatively credible calculation models, to arrive at an objective assessment for our readers. There will undoubtedly continue to be voices declaring Bitcoin "dead" in the future. But based on more than a decade of experience, these voices have not been able to stop Bitcoin from advancing along the path dictated by its inherent mission — not even by a fraction.
Disclaimer
This article may contain product-related content not applicable to your region. This article is intended solely to provide general information and makes no representation as to the accuracy or completeness of any facts presented. The views expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of OKX. This article is not intended to provide, and should not be relied upon as, any of the following: (i) investment advice or investment recommendations; (ii) offers or solicitations to buy, sell, or hold digital assets; or (iii) financial, accounting, legal, or tax advice. Holdings in digital assets (including stablecoins) involve a high degree of risk and may fluctuate dramatically, or even become worthless. You should carefully consider whether trading or holding digital assets is appropriate for you in light of your financial situation. Please consult your legal/tax/investment professional regarding questions specific to your circumstances. Any information contained herein (including market data and statistical information, if applicable) is provided for general reference purposes only. While all reasonable precautions have been taken in preparing these data and charts, we accept no responsibility for any factual errors or omissions expressed herein. © 2025 OKX. This article may be reproduced or distributed in its entirety, or excerpted in portions of 100 words or less, provided that such use is for non-commercial purposes. Any reproduction or distribution of the full article must prominently state: "This article is copyrighted © 2025 OKX, used under permission." Permitted excerpts must cite the article title and include attribution, e.g., "Article Title, [Author Name (if applicable)], © 2025 OKX." Some content may have been generated or assisted by artificial intelligence (AI) tools. Derivative works and other uses of this article are not permitted.
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