River, a company specializing in bitcoin financial services, published a study showing that the share of the US adult population owning bitcoin has surpassed the share of gold owners for the first time. Currently, 49.6 million Americans own bitcoin (18.6% of the adult population), while 28.8 million (10.8%) own gold.
Gold has served as a store of value for about 5,000 years, whereas bitcoin has existed for only about 16 years since the network launched in January 2009. The study results show that an asset with a short history has already built a broader base of individual owners in the US than gold has over millennia.
River attributes this trend to two factors: accessibility and culture. Favorable regulation, low entry barriers through exchanges and mobile apps, and Americans' inclination toward individual investing have accelerated bitcoin adoption.
The report also notes that Americans account for approximately 42% of all bitcoins in global circulation, making the US a "global bitcoin superpower."