Who really controls Bitcoin’s price in 2025? Whales, devs or governments, explained

Bitcoin may be decentralized, but its price isn’t immune to the influence of whales, protocol upgrades, ETF approvals and global regulations.

If anyone comes close to “moving the market,” it’s the whales. These are the investors holding thousands of BTC, often institutions, funds or OG holders from the early days. And in 2025, they’re more active than ever.

The number of wallets holding over 1,000 Bitcoin (BTC) has climbed to 1,455 as of May 2025, marking a renewed wave of accumulation. Some of this growth is driven by institutional players: Strategy alone now holds over 580,000 BTC (around 2.76% of total supply), while BlackRock has added Bitcoin allocations to its iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF and related portfolios. 

Read more