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In a recent development, North Korea has flipped Bhutan and El Salvador in crypto holdings, becoming the fourth largest Bitcoin holder. Reflecting on the development, Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) sparked speculations about North Korea’s Bitcoin reserve plans.
Significantly, North Korea’s ascend in Bitcoin holdings follows the notorious Lazarus Group’s Bybit hack. Though the hackers stole $1.4 billion in ETH, the latest reports reveal that the group converted most of the stolen funds to BTC.
CZ Teases North Korea’s Bitcoin Reserve Plans
As North Korea has become the fourth largest country in terms of Bitcoin holdings, Binance founder Changpeng Zhao hints at the country’s potential Bitcoin reserve adoption. In a playful manner, CZ shared an X post, commenting, “Different ways to build a strategic crypto reserve.”
Notably, the addition of an emoji of hysterical laughter in his post could convey his extreme surprise at the development. He humorously suggests that North Korea’s BTC accumulation is an unconventional yet effective way to build a strategic Bitcoin reserve. This could also imply the irony that a country like North Korea, often viewed as isolated, is actively building a significant Bitcoin reserve.
North Korea Accumulates Bitcoin: What Does It Mean?
According to Arkham Intelligence, Lazarus Group, the notorious hackers of North Korea, currently holds a total of 13,518 BTC. As of Bitcoin’s current price of $83,263, North Korea’s BTC holding is valued at a staggering $1.13 billion.
Notably, the US is the largest holder of Bitcoin with a total of 198,109 BTC ($16.47 billion). Closely following are China and the United Kingdom, boasting 195,000 BTC (16.18 billion) and 61,245 BTC ($5.1 billion), respectively.
Previously, El Salvador and Bhutan secured the fourth and fifth positions with Bitcoin holdings of 10,634 BTC ($886 million) and 6,118 BTC ($509.5 million), respectively. Following the $1.4 billion Bybit hack, North Korea jumped to the fourth place, overtaking Bhutan and El Salvador. Despite reportedly rising to third place, North Korea’s cryptocurrency holdings actually rank fourth, trailing behind those of the United States, China, and the United Kingdom.
This has sparked speculations of North Korea’s potential Bitcoin reserve strategy, further fueled by Changpeng Zhao’s comments.
Is North Korea Embracing Bitcoin Reserve?
Surprisingly, the coincidence in North Korea’s rise in BTC holdings and the US’ Bitcoin reserve adoption has raised speculations. The cryptocurrency community is puzzled as to why the Lazarus Group chose to convert the pilfered funds into BTC. Meanwhile, Changpeng Zhao’s comments intensified anticipations of North Korea’s possible Bitcoin reserve adoption.
Meanwhile, the Bank of Korea rejected the idea of adopting the Bitcoin reserve in opposition to South Korea lawmakers’ proposal. The BoK stated, “In the case of cryptocurrency market instability, transaction costs to cash out Bitcoins could rise drastically.”
Bitcoin’s decisive break above the psychologically significant $95,000 mark has injected fresh optimism into the market, at least among miners.
This key milestone has triggered a shift in miner sentiment, with on-chain data showing a noticeable uptick in BTC miner reserves over the past few days.
Miners Bet on BTC Upside as Reserve Jumps from Yearly Low
According to CryptoQuant, Bitcoin’s miner reserve, which had been in a sustained downtrend, began to rise on April 29, shortly after BTC closed above the $95,000 threshold.
For context, the reserve had dropped to a year-to-date low of 1.80 million BTC just a day earlier before reversing course and showing signs of accumulation.
Bitcoin’s miner reserve tracks the number of coins held in miners’ wallets. It represents the coin reserves miners have yet to sell. When it falls, miners are moving coins out of their wallets, usually to sell, confirming growing bearish sentiment against BTC.
Conversely, when this metric rises, as it is now, it suggests miners are holding onto more of their mined coins, often reflecting growing confidence in the BTC’s future price appreciation.
Moreover, the bullish shift in miner sentiment is further supported by the positive miner netflow recorded since April 29. This signals that more coins are being put into miner wallets rather than offloading to exchanges.
Such behavior reflects confidence in further upside, as miners, often seen as long-term holders, are choosing to accumulate rather than liquidate.
There Is a Catch
However, the sentiment is not universally bullish. While BTC miners are stepping back from selling, derivatives data tells a different story.
In the futures market, BTC’s funding rate has remained negative since the beginning of May, a sign that a significant portion of traders are betting on a near-term price correction. At press time, the coin’s funding rate is -0.0056%.
The funding rate is a periodic payment exchanged between long and short traders in perpetual futures contracts to keep the contract price aligned with the spot price.
When it is positive, it means traders holding long positions are paying those with short positions, indicating that bullish sentiment dominates the market.
On the other hand, a negative funding rate like this signals more short bets than long ones, suggesting bearish pressure on BTC’s price.
Breakout or Breakdown as Traders and Miners Diverge
While miner behavior may point to renewed confidence, the steady bearish sentiment in derivatives suggests that traders remain wary of a potential pullback.
If coin accumulation strengthens, BTC could extend its gains, break above the resistance at $98,515, and attempt to regain the $102,080 price mark.
The efforts to add Bitcoin and other digital assets to Government Reserves are gaining steam not just in the US but in several other countries as well. Now, UFC superstar Conor McGregor has urged Ireland to create a Bitcoin strategic reserve, saying the move would return financial control to everyday citizens.
Crypto in it’s origin was founded to give power back to the people.
An Irish Bitcoin strategic reserve will give power to the people’s money.
I will be cohosting a Twitter space to talk about what I want to see changed.
Victory to Ireland!
He also announced plans to cohost a Twitter Space to share his vision for Ireland’s crypto future.
Conor McGregor Pushes Bitcoin Into National Spotlight
As McGregor entered the crypto policy arena with this message, the celebrity push is gaining momentum. While he previously backed crypto-related sponsors, his new call for a Bitcoin strategic reserve signals a serious shift in tone.
He didn’t reference any official proposals or lawmakers, but his timing aligns with growing interest in national Bitcoin holdings across Europe. Germany and Switzerland already hold Bitcoin as part of their sovereign strategies.
Crypto analysts believe Conor McGregor’s reach could purport more public support for state-level Bitcoin initiatives. In Ireland, those conversations often touch on independence, innovation, and financial access.
Will McGregor’s Influence Move the Policy Needle?
Some critics doubt whether McGregor’s post will translate into meaningful action. While fans celebrated his stance, Irish government officials haven’t responded. Even so, McGregor’s tweet gained over 735,000 views in under 12 hours. His involvement has pulled Bitcoin back into Irish political conversations.
Last month, Conor McGregor launched a meme coin called REAL to join the growing list of celebrity crypto projects. But the coin failed shortly after launch and lost momentum quickly. The failure raised doubts about celebrity-backed tokens, especially after Donald Trump’s coin also failed to gain lasting investor support.
But meme coins have broken the myth that they can’t be profitable. As of May 10, 2025, the top meme coins reached a total market cap of $59.73 billion. While that’s only a 2.34% increase, it shows steady growth and strong interest in the meme coin space across global crypto markets. Check out the top Meme Coins To Buy In May 2025 here.
