The number of Bitcoin "whole-coiners," referring to wallet addresses holding one or more Bitcoin, has maintained a steadfast presence above the 1 million mark for the past 13 months, highlighting a resilient trend in Bitcoin ownership despite market fluctuations.

This milestone was initially reached on May 13, 2023, when Bitcoin was trading at approximately $27,000, as reported by Glassnode data. Since then, the count of these wholecoiner addresses hit an all-time high on January 1 of the current year, surpassing 1,024,000 addresses.

Today, with Bitcoin prices having doubled since May 2023, hovering around $61,490, there are still over 1,010,800 wallet addresses holding one Bitcoin or more. This sustained level underscores a growing interest and commitment among investors to hold substantial amounts of Bitcoin, despite the volatility characteristic of the cryptocurrency market.

However, it's crucial to note that the term "wallet address" does not equate to individual ownership, as many investors maintain multiple addresses. Moreover, a significant portion of Bitcoin holdings resides with major institutions such as centralized exchanges and investment firms, which collectively manage a substantial portion of the total Bitcoin supply.

Of the 19.7 million Bitcoins currently in circulation, approximately 2.48 million, valued at $152 billion, are held on major centralized exchanges like Binance and Coinbase. Additionally, an estimated 3 million Bitcoins, worth $80.4 billion, are considered "lost forever," according to Glassnode's analysis, accounting for 17% of the total circulating supply.

The distribution of Bitcoin ownership has evolved significantly since its inception on January 3, 2009, when only Satoshi Nakamoto's wallet address held more than 1 Bitcoin. Over time, the number of wholecoiner addresses has grown exponentially, reaching 30,000 by early 2010 and continuing to expand rapidly over subsequent years.

Despite these positive trends, there have been periods of decline in Bitcoin wholecoiner addresses, notably during market downturns. Significant drops occurred between March and May 2016, during the bear market of September to December 2018, and amidst sharp sell-offs between February and July 2021, following previous rapid price increases.

The consistent presence of over 1 million wholecoiner addresses indicates a resilient foundation of Bitcoin ownership, reflective of enduring confidence and investment in the digital asset's long-term potential amid a dynamic and evolving cryptocurrency landscape.