Why Most People Will Never Own a Full Bitcoin After $100,000 — and the Challenges of Investing in…

Why Most People Will Never Own a Full Bitcoin After $100,000 — and the Challenges of Investing in a Speculative Asset

Bitcoin’s rise from a niche experiment to a globally recognized store of value has been staggering. Now, with the price of Bitcoin over $100,000 and experts projecting even higher valuations, many people feel completely priced out. While Bitcoin’s divisibility into satoshis makes it accessible, the psychological and financial barriers to owning a full Bitcoin are significant, even for the wealthy. To truly understand this dynamic, we need to consider the financial realities of average households, the liquidity challenges faced by even high-net-worth individuals, and the complexities of converting traditional assets into speculative investments.

In the United States, the median household income is approximately $74,000 as of 2024. That means most families earn less in an entire year than what one Bitcoin would cost at $100,000. Factor in taxes, living expenses, and debt obligations, and it becomes clear why owning a full Bitcoin is out of reach for the vast majority of people. Even saving 10% of their income each year would take the average household over a decade to afford one Bitcoin at these prices — assuming the price doesn’t climb further in the meantime. Globally, the situation is even starker. The global median income is estimated at around $10,000 per year. For the majority of the world’s population, owning even a fraction of a Bitcoin could represent a significant portion of their annual income, making it more akin to luxury asset ownership than a common financial strategy.

The barriers aren’t limited to middle-income households. Even millionaires, who make up just over 1% of the global population, often don’t have $100,000 in liquid assets to allocate to Bitcoin or any other speculative investment. For context, approximately 88% of millionaires’ wealth is tied up in non-liquid assets such as real estate, retirement accounts, and business equity. While they may appear wealthy on paper, liquidating these assets to invest in Bitcoin presents significant challenges. For example, converting real estate into cash can take months and often involves transaction fees, taxes, and market volatility risks. Even for someone who owns a million-dollar property outright, accessing $100,000 in cash often means taking on debt, selling under pressure, or facing liquidity constraints in the short term.

Real estate investors face additional complexities. Unlike stocks or bonds, which can be sold with the click of a button, real estate requires finding buyers, negotiating deals, and navigating closing processes that can stretch for weeks or months. For investors whose portfolios are built on rental income, selling properties also means losing a source of consistent cash flow. Moving that money into a speculative asset like Bitcoin, which is inherently volatile, may not align with their investment goals or risk tolerance. For this reason, even many well-off individuals choose to pass on Bitcoin, not because they don’t see its potential but because the logistics of rebalancing their portfolios are too burdensome.

The challenge of investing in Bitcoin becomes even more psychological when you consider perceived value and risk tolerance. For most people, the idea of putting $100,000 into a speculative asset — even one as widely discussed as Bitcoin — feels risky. Unlike real estate, which offers tangible benefits like shelter or rental income, Bitcoin is still primarily viewed as a speculative store of value. Its price fluctuations, sometimes swinging by thousands of dollars in a single day, can be nerve-wracking for anyone who isn’t fully comfortable with volatility. For millionaires and average-income earners alike, parting with $100,000 in cash often feels more like gambling than investing, especially when other asset classes offer more stability.

Yet, the beauty of Bitcoin lies in its divisibility. Each Bitcoin can be divided into 100 million units called satoshis, which makes the asset accessible to nearly anyone. For example, someone with just $100 to invest at a $100,000 Bitcoin price could purchase 100,000 satoshis — a meaningful start to building wealth in the cryptocurrency space. The problem is that many people still equate Bitcoin ownership with having a full coin, and this misunderstanding prevents them from exploring the possibility of accumulating smaller amounts over time.

For those feeling priced out, the key is education and shifting the narrative. Instead of focusing on owning a full Bitcoin, individuals can focus on incremental accumulation through strategies like dollar-cost averaging (DCA), where small, consistent investments are made over time. For example, investing $50 per week could yield roughly 2.6 million satoshis over a year at a $100,000 Bitcoin price, even accounting for market fluctuations. Over time, these smaller contributions can grow into substantial holdings, especially if Bitcoin continues its upward trajectory.

Bitcoin crossing $100,000 is likely to further cement its status as a luxury or store-of-value asset akin to gold or prime real estate, with ownership of full coins concentrating among early adopters, institutional investors, and high-net-worth individuals. For the average person, accumulating satoshis will be the way to participate in the Bitcoin ecosystem. But this shift will only happen if public understanding catches up with Bitcoin’s technical possibilities.

While most people are priced out of owning a full Bitcoin, the opportunity to participate in its growth isn’t gone — it’s just reframed. By embracing satoshis, educating themselves, and approaching Bitcoin as a long-term investment, everyday people can still take part in the cryptocurrency revolution, even if full Bitcoin ownership becomes a privilege of the few. What’s crucial is understanding that wealth accumulation doesn’t require buying an entire coin; it starts with small, consistent steps toward financial literacy and investment.

Why Most People Will Never Own a Full Bitcoin After $100,000 — and the Challenges of Investing in… was originally published in The Capital on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.