Government Bitcoin holdings fall 1,635 BTC in 2026 to 645,596 BTC

In short

• Tracked government Bitcoin holdings fell 1,635 BTC this year, to 645,596 BTC from 647,231 BTC, according to AMBCrypto.
• The United States holds 328,372 BTC, ahead of China with 190,000 BTC and the UK with 61,245 BTC, InvestIn.News calculated.
• InvestIn.News calculated that the five largest state holders control 3.07% of Bitcoin's 21 million coin supply.
• Bhutan's tracked holdings fell 91% to 518 BTC, while Kazakhstan and El Salvador added coins.

Government Bitcoin holdings that trackers can see have fallen by 1,635 BTC in 2026, to 645,596 BTC from 647,231 BTC at the start of the year, according to figures published by AMBCrypto on 15 October 2026. The United States is the largest state holder, with 328,372 BTC, followed by China with 190,000 BTC and the United Kingdom with 61,245 BTC. Ukraine's officials reportedly hold 46,351 BTC, and El Salvador holds 7,803 BTC. InvestIn.News calculated that those five holders together control 3.07% of Bitcoin's 21 million coin supply.

The backdrop is soft. Bitcoin traded at $80,584 as of 06:04 UTC on 15 October 2026, down 3.26% in 24 hours, according to InvestIn.News market data. The total value of all cryptocurrencies was $2.71 trillion, with Bitcoin making up 59.47% of it. Demand has cooled too: US spot Bitcoin ETFs took in $2.65 billion in September but have seen $278.37 million of net outflows in October so far, according to AMBCrypto.

How the tracked numbers are counted

Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency with a fixed supply of 21 million coins. These totals come from on-chain trackers, services that follow Bitcoin wallet addresses. Trackers count only the wallets they have identified, and AMBCrypto says the decline does not necessarily mean the coins were sold: some may have moved to wallets that are not tracked. So part of the fall could be a change of address rather than a change of hands.

Bhutan's holdings fall 91% to 518 BTC

Bhutan recorded the steepest drop of any government. Its tracked holdings fell 91%, to 518 BTC from 5,984 BTC, according to AMBCrypto. That is the sharpest decline in the figures, and it leaves Bhutan far below the biggest holders.

Kazakhstan and El Salvador added coins

Two governments went the other way. Kazakhstan's holdings are estimated at 3,544 BTC, and El Salvador added 287 BTC, according to AMBCrypto. El Salvador now ranks fifth among state holders, with 7,803 BTC.

The US keeps moving coins to Coinbase Prime

Big holders move coins without selling them. AMBCrypto reported that the US government sent 833.6 BTC, worth $71.6 million, to Coinbase Prime on 7 October. President Donald Trump's executive order created a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, which says Bitcoin seized by the US government will never be sold, according to news.bitcoin.com. For ordinary holders the difference matters: coins sent to a custodian add nothing to market supply, while coins sold do.

Users on X split over the selling

Users on X read the numbers in different ways. AssetMarketCap (@AssetMarketCap) said some governments may be finding it harder to hold on to their coins. Rain (@raintures) said governments still hold a serious amount of Bitcoin after the drop, while KRANK (@KrankOfficialX) asked who the buyer is if governments are dumping. bigkeoni64 (@bigkeoni641) asked how China can have any crypto if it banned it. Nayab Sayed (@nsbytes) asked whether Bhutan is still mining, and Lros (@lukerosario11) said the UK could drop off the list if hack victims prove the coins were theirs first.

Questions readers ask

How much Bitcoin do governments hold in 2026?

Tracked government holdings stood at 645,596 BTC on 15 October 2026, down 1,635 BTC from 647,231 BTC at the start of the year, according to AMBCrypto. The United States holds the most, with 328,372 BTC, followed by China with 190,000 BTC and the United Kingdom with 61,245 BTC.

Why did Bhutan's Bitcoin holdings fall 91%?

Bhutan's tracked Bitcoin holdings dropped 91%, to 518 BTC from 5,984 BTC, the sharpest fall of any government this year, according to AMBCrypto. The figures come from on-chain trackers, and AMBCrypto says a fall in tracked holdings does not necessarily mean the coins were sold rather than moved.

Which governments increased their Bitcoin holdings in 2026?

Kazakhstan and El Salvador were the only governments to add, according to AMBCrypto. Kazakhstan's holdings are estimated at 3,544 BTC and El Salvador added 287 BTC, taking its total to 7,803 BTC, the fifth-largest state holding.

How much of Bitcoin's supply do states control?

InvestIn.News calculated that the five largest state holders, the United States, China, the United Kingdom, Ukraine's officials and El Salvador, together hold 3.07% of Bitcoin's 21 million coin supply. Governments held 645,596 BTC in total on 15 October 2026, according to AMBCrypto.

Our view

The fall in tracked government Bitcoin holdings is not simply bookkeeping. Bhutan's holdings dropped 91% this year, from 5,984 BTC to 518 BTC, and a move of that size looks like a state taking profit rather than a wallet being tidied up. Kazakhstan and El Salvador added coins, but they did not come close to offsetting Bhutan's exit.

I would still treat the total as a map rather than a ledger. The figures rest on on-chain trackers, and 1,635 BTC is small against the 645,596 BTC governments still hold. What would settle the question is a destination: coins landing in an exchange deposit address tied to a sale, or Bhutan saying what it did with them.

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— Ishu Aggarwal