If it feels like everyone suddenly knows a crypto millionaire, there might be a reason. The number of people worldwide holding at least a million dollars in cryptocurrency has exploded to 241,700, according to a new report from Henley & Partners, a firm that advises wealthy individuals on where to live. That’s a 40% jump in just one year.
The number of Bitcoin (BTC) millionaires alone surged by 70% to 145,100. The total crypto market, now valued at a staggering $3.3 trillion, is riding a wave of renewed institutional interest.
But the real story is the sheer scale of wealth concentrated at the very top. The report counts 450 “crypto centi-millionaires,” each sitting on a digital fortune of $100 million or more. Even more strikingly, there are now 36 crypto billionaires, which signals the solidification of a new ultra-wealthy elite.
Worth noting, this new elite operates by different rules. “Traditional finance assumes money has a home address, but cryptocurrency doesn’t. Geography is now optional,” said Dominic Volek, Head of Private Clients at Henley & Partners, in the report. “With just 12 memorized words, an individual can secure a billion dollars in Bitcoin, instantly accessible from Zurich or Zhengzhou alike.”
The Great Philosophical Split
This is leading to a fundamental shift in how crypto is used. The report suggests Bitcoin is increasingly being treated less like a speculative stock and more like digital gold, a solid foundation for a new, parallel financial system.
This creates a core tension with the traditional money system. As Samson Mow, CEO of JAN3, put it in the report, government-issued “fiat currency has one destiny — infinity. Bitcoin, on the contrary, has the opposite: 21 million.” This fixed supply, he argues, creates “the defining paradox of our age” as governments grapple with a form of value they can’t control.
So Where Do You Go With Your Digital Millions?
This borderless nature of crypto wealth is fueling a convergence with another industry — investment migration. Essentially, people are using their crypto gains to buy new passports or residency rights in more favorable countries.
“This new, mobility-driven class of investors is increasingly turning to citizenship by investment programs as a strategic route to geographic and financial flexibility,” said Catherine Chen of Binance.
To map this new landscape, Henley & Partners created an index ranking the most crypto-friendly countries for investors looking to move, which evaluates 29 countries with investment migration programs based on over 750 data points across six parameters, including regulation, infrastructure and tax policy. The top five are:
- Singapore, praised for its clear regulations and tech infrastructure.
- Hong Kong that scores high on economic factors and, crucially, tax-friendliness.
- The U.S., which is strong on public adoption and innovation.
- Switzerland, a traditional financial hub embracing digital assets.
- The UAE, the star for tax avoidance, with a perfect score because it has zero taxes on crypto trading, staking or mining.
The broader institutional momentum appears strong. “Driven by favorable regulatory winds, institutional adoption has not only arrived; it is surging,” confirmed Townsend Lansing, Head of Product at CoinShares.
As previously reported, a new MEXC survey showed global crypto users are increasingly treating digital assets as financial protection, with 46% now using them to hedge against inflation, up from 29% earlier this year. The shift is most evident in East Asia and the Middle East, driven by currency concerns and economic instability.
Disclaimer: The content presented herein is for informational purposes only. While efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the information, no guarantees are made regarding its completeness, reliability or suitability for any particular purpose. Before making any financial decisions, we strongly advise seeking guidance from a qualified professional.
