US Cuts Bitcoin Reserves, Government Holdings Drop 12% Over Nine Months
With the tremendous growth in the crypto space, governments have started seeing the need to participate in the ecosystem. Some governments, including the United States and China, hold Bitcoin
reserves. Governments tend to get BTC from donations, seizures from criminals, buying on the open market, and owning mining farms.
In recent times, governments have sought to increase their stockpile of Bitcoin, but this trend seems to be changing, according to new reports. According to a released in April 2025, the Bitcoin reserves held by global governments have dropped from 529,591 BTC in July 2024 to 463,741 BTC in April 2025.
This means that governments currently hold 2.3% of Bitcoin’s total supply. Countries like the US and Germany have contributed to this drop, while others, including El Salvador increased their stockpile.
The Changes
At the moment, the US holds the largest Bitcoin reserve with a stockpile of 198,012 BTC, which dropped from its holdings in July 2024. This occurred due to the liquidation of the assets.
Currently, China has 194,000 BTC in its reserves despite the fact that crypto mining and trading are banned in the country. A great deal of their holding came from from the 2019 PlusToken Ponzi scheme. The figure has remained constant since July 2024.
The third on the list is the United Kingdom, which has a stockpile of 61,000 BTC (~$5.6 billion), and these were acquired through seizures from criminals. The UK’s BTC reserve has remained constant.
Bhutan, which sits at the fourth on the list, has introduced 8,594 BTC into its reserves. The BTC stockpile was acquired through their mining farms, which is different from their counterparts that seized or bought BTC.
El Salvador, under the leadership of Nayib Bukele, has continuously added its BTC reserves. Currently, the country holds 6,135 BTC, from buying 1 BTC daily.
Could Bitcoin Reach an All-Time High in May?
Bitcoin climbed 11% between April 20 and April 26, maintaining strength as it hovered near its two-month high of approximately $94,000.
This came after US President disclosed a potential reduction in trade tariffs. In the past five days, BTC exchange-traded funds (ETFs) got a net inflow of $3.1 billion. Another reason for this confidence may be linked to the S&P 500’s 7.1% weekly gain.
As a result, it is speculated that BTC may reach an all-time high in May, crossing the $100,000 threshold.
