A Bitcoin address is a unique identifier consisting of 26 to 62 alphanumeric characters used to receive bitcoins.

These addresses serve as the destination for transactions on the Bitcoin network, ensuring that funds are sent to the correct recipient.

This graphic, via Visual Capitalist’s Marcus Lu, ranks the 15 most valuable Bitcoin addresses globally as of May 2024, based on BitInfoCharts’ Bitcoin Rich List.

How Bitcoin Works

Bitcoin is considered the world’s most valuable digital currency.

Unlike fiat currencies such as the U.S. dollar, which central banks back, a cryptocurrency like Bitcoin is supported by an underlying blockchain. This blockchain records every Bitcoin transaction in a public, decentralized, and distributed ledger.

Every time bitcoins are spent, a digital transaction record must be validated and added to the blockchain. Miners undertake this task, legitimizing and auditing Bitcoin transactions while earning bitcoins as a reward.

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According to BitInfoCharts, the world’s top Bitcoin address dates back to October 2018, with a balance of 0.1 BTC (worth $660 at the time).

Since then, it has experienced several massive swings in value, reaching 180,000 BTC ($1.7B) in November 2019 and then falling to 1,370 BTC ($9.4M) in April 2020.

Beginning in late 2020, this address began accumulating bitcoins at a rapid pace, reaching 300,000 BTC ($10.3B) in July 2021.

Since January 2023, its BTC balance has remained constant at around 248,597 BTC.

If you enjoyed this post, check out Ranking the Largest Bitcoin ETFs in the U.S. In this graphic, we rank the top eight Bitcoin ETFs in the U.S. by their total assets under management.