Cryptocurrency is unavoidable in 2025. Reading headlines about crypto regulation, rapid asset price changes or even the latest memecoin may pique your interest in things like Bitcoin mining, investing risk and more.
If you’re crypto curious, you’re not the only one. These are some of the most common questions people have about cryptocurrency.
Who owns the most bitcoin?
Individuals with massive Bitcoin holdings are known as “Bitcoin whales.” Satoshi Nakamoto, the chosen pseudonym of Bitcoin’s creator, is believed to be the biggest whale, holding an estimated 1.09 million coins. If so, Nakamoto’s net worth would have been about $119 billion — around the net worth of Nvidia CEO and cofounder Jensen Huang — when the price of Bitcoin peaked at more than $109,000 in January.
Other Bitcoin whales include Binance with about 633,000 coins, Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) with roughly 500,000 and the U.S. government with about 200,000.
However, spot Bitcoin ETFs now collectively hold about 1.12 million bitcoins, more than any other person, company or government.
How long does it take to mine 1 bitcoin?
It takes an average of 10 minutes to move one single Bitcoin block throughout the entire decentralized blockchain network and earn the reward of 3.125 bitcoins. This is referred to as Bitcoin’s block time. But this doesn’t mean you can mine a new coin before your lunch break ends.
Bitcoin mining takes a ton of processing power and electricity. A computer mines Bitcoin not by digging in the ground, but by validating blockchain transactions through trial and error.
For context on Bitcoin’s energy consumption, recording a transaction on the decentralized ledger consumes about as much power as a U.S. household uses in 45 days, according to Digiconomist. As such, if you wanted to mine Bitcoin at home, it’d take about nine years’ worth of energy.
What are crypto ETFs?
Just like other thematic exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, crypto ETFs let investors add a specific type of asset to their portfolio, such as shares of tech companies that invest in blockchain technology, baskets of several cryptocurrencies or even companies that create crypto-mining tools.
Moreover, crypto ETFs can focus on a single coin, such as the spot Ethereum and Bitcoin ETFs that were approved in 2024. Bitcoin futures ETFs, which don’t own bitcoins directly, have been traded since 2021.
How many satoshis are in 1 bitcoin?
There are 100 million satoshis in one bitcoin. Satoshis are named after the anonymous creator who first introduced Bitcoin. This tiny unit references the fact that one coin can be officially split into 100 million pieces.
A satoshi is the smallest unit of bitcoin and can make smaller transactions easier to understand. If you put $10 into bitcoin, you’d have 0.00011872 of a bitcoin or 11,872 satoshis. A satoshi is just a term. You can buy however much bitcoin you want.
What does a bitcoin look like?
Bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies are intangible, so there isn’t a metal coin equivalent in the same way 25 cents can be physically represented as a silver U.S. quarter. Any photos or physical “bitcoins” you see are just conceptual. Artistic mock coins usually bear this symbol for Bitcoin, ₿.
Is crypto dead?
For minable tokens and Bitcoin, there’s still more to mine. Likewise, current hype trends are in the crypto industry’s favor. Many have predicted or declared crypto’s death over the years, and yet it remains a ubiquitous investment with a high level of interest.
Of course, individual coins fizzle out all the time, but overall cryptocurrency isn’t dead. To the contrary, an average of 23,300 new memecoins launched every day in the last year on just Pump.fun, a platform where you can create a coin in a few clicks, according to crypto data-tracker Dune.
How many cryptocurrencies are there?
The exact number of existing cryptocurrencies is hard to nail down. CoinMarketCap tracks more than 10,640 cryptocurrencies as of mid-March 2025, but this isn’t a comprehensive list.
Tens of thousands of memecoins are created daily, and based on that data, there are millions of cryptocurrencies. The vast majority of tokens are fairly obscure though, but large-cap cryptocurrencies include Bitcoin, Cardano, Ethereum, Solana and Tether.
Can you short crypto?
When you take a short position, you are borrowing an asset, selling it and rebuying it for (hopefully) less than you sold it for. Shorting can, in theory, generate unlimited losses because there’s no ceiling to an investment’s price.
You can’t short crypto per se, but retail investors can wager on the decline of crypto through options trading or via the Bitcoin and Ethereum futures markets. You could see deep losses though.
Is cryptocurrency safe?
No investment is completely safe. Still, cryptocurrencies are exceptionally volatile — and come with a host of security concerns and scams that aren’t as present with more mainstream investments.
On the volatility side, even stablecoins can falter. Some crypto investors, like those who bought coins just before a crypto winter (i.e., a particularly tough bear market of sorts), may experience a steep portfolio drop and feel the need to sell so they mitigate their losses. If you cannot afford to lose the money you put in, you may not be ready to invest in cryptocurrency.
Can you lose a lot of money in crypto?
Yes, you can lose a lot of money in crypto. This goes for Bitcoin as well, since, historically, its price has fluctuated dramatically. On the flip side, you can also make a lot of money in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies, but many things have to line up in your favor, such as picking a rising star, dodging scams, using a reputable broker or exchange and keeping track of your wallet.
High rewards come with high risks though, and crypto is about as risky as it gets. If you want to add cryptocurrencies to your portfolio — or increase your holdings — you’ll need to assess your risk tolerance. Crypto isn’t for the faint of heart. You could see astronomical gains or lose every dollar.
Editorial Disclaimer: All investors are advised to conduct their own independent research into investment strategies before making an investment decision. In addition, investors are advised that past investment product performance is no guarantee of future price appreciation.
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