Swift is a global financial messaging network serving over 11,500 institutions, created in 1973 to facilitate secure and efficient cross-border transactions. In 2023 alone, Swift has processed over 6 billion transaction messages, connecting banks, financial institutions, and corporations.
Banks across North America, Europe, and Asia will participate, utilizing Swift's infrastructure for cross-border transactions involving cryptocurrencies and national currencies. This move aims to establish a unified architecture facilitating interoperability between traditional and digital finance by enabling seamless transactions across diverse asset classes.
In addition to exploring Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), Swift intends to investigate interlinking CBDCs and bridging private and public blockchains. These trials represent a significant step in Swift's multi-year exploration of digital assets, building on previous experiments with cross-chain transfers involving major banks using Chainlink's Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol.
With the ongoing digitalization of transactions, it is expected that not only Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) and stablecoins but also cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin will witness increased adoption. As the market leader in this space, BTC's normalization within the existing financial ecosystem could significantly impact the future landscape of digital finance.
Meanwhile Bitcoin, which is indeed the world's first decentralized digital currency and was created to provide financial independence from traditional banking systems, seems do deviate from its original mandate of decentralization. Recent analysis has revealed a trend towards increasing concentration of Bitcoin ownership, raising concerns about its decentralization and future trajectory.
As of October 2024, wallets holding over 10,000 Bitcoin account for nearly 16% of the total supply, marking a significant rise from the previous year. This trend is concerning because it indicates that an increasingly small number of entities control a substantial portion of the Bitcoin network's value. While Bitcoin was designed to be decentralized and accessible to all, this concentration of ownership may threaten its core principles.
One of the largest individual holders of Bitcoin remains Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of the cryptocurrency. Despite the mystery surrounding his or her identity, it has been estimated that around 1.1 million Bitcoins could belong to Satoshi based on blockchain analysis and activity patterns during Bitcoin's early days. At current market prices, these Bitcoins would be valued at approximately $67 billion, making Nakamoto one of the wealthiest individuals in the world.
In addition to individual holders, significant portions of Bitcoin are held by prominent cryptocurrency exchanges and custodians. Coinbase, Binance, and BlackRock each hold hundreds of thousands of Bitcoins, largely attributed to their roles in facilitating Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and providing custodial services for institutional investors. The exact number of Bitcoins held by each exchange can change frequently due to market conditions and investment strategies.
MicroStrategy, a software company led by Bitcoin proponent Michael Saylor, has also amassed an impressive collection of over 252,000 Bitcoins, making it one of the largest holders in the network. This substantial investment highlights the growing interest of institutional investors in Bitcoin and its potential to become a mainstream asset class.
Governmental entities have also entered the picture as substantial Bitcoin holders, primarily through the seizure of assets from illicit activities. The extent of these holdings varies between different countries and agencies, but it is clear that governments are increasingly recognizing the importance of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in the global financial landscape.
The concentration of Bitcoin ownership within a relatively small number of entities raises important considerations regarding its decentralization and future trajectory. Some argue that increased institutional adoption is necessary for widespread use, as it provides legitimacy and attracts investment to the network. Others stress the importance of maintaining a truly decentralized network, fearing that excessive concentration could lead to control by a small elite.
Stefano Virgilli
The author is a member of the International Press Association
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