Bitcoin for the Few? Institutions May Soon Price Out Retail Buyers

Institutions are accumulating Bitcoin at record rates, and experts warn that retail investors may soon be priced out as BTC approaches reserve-asset status.

At the LONGITUDE conference in Dubai on May 1, 2025, prominent voices in the blockchain and financial world issued a stark warning to everyday investors: institutional appetite for Bitcoin could soon make it prohibitively expensive for the average person to acquire even a single coin.

Sergej Kunz, co-founder of 1inch, emphasized the urgency for individuals to act. “Any retail investor needs to be looking to buy at least one Bitcoin — soon it won’t be able,” he said, referencing the asset’s increasingly elite trajectory.

Yat Siu, co-founder of Animoca Brands, echoed this sentiment, pointing to Bitcoin’s role as a hedge against inflation, financial instability, and geopolitical uncertainty as a catalyst for massive institutional inflows. With Bitcoin’s hard cap of 21 million coins and growing demand from hedge funds, sovereign states, and corporate treasuries, the scarcity is becoming more than a narrative — it’s becoming a mathematical inevitability.

📊 Institutional Takeover of Bitcoin Supply

Institutional activity in Bitcoin markets has accelerated sharply in 2025. In April alone, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) saw more than $3 billion in inflows. These purchases were driven in part by global macroeconomic anxiety, a weakening U.S. dollar, and President Donald Trump’s announcement of a 90-day tariff suspension, which added to economic unpredictability.

As of May 1, the data paints a clear picture of a Bitcoin landscape increasingly dominated by large entities:

• ETFs and institutional funds now hold $128 billion worth of BTC.
• Corporate treasuries — including those of Tesla, MicroStrategy, and newer entrants — collectively control $73 billion.
• Sovereign nations (U.S., China, UK, etc.) are estimated to hold $130+ billion, largely from seized or strategic accumulations.

This consolidation of Bitcoin supply has inevitably reduced available liquidity for the open market, which translates into upward pressure on prices.

💸 Price Predictions Raise Red Flags

Forecasts from market analysts suggest that Bitcoin could surge to $200,000 by the end of 2025, and possibly hit $1 million by 2029. These projections are not mere speculation; they are grounded in increasing ETF demand, government stockpiling, and mounting distrust in fiat currencies.

Kunz noted that if the U.S. Treasury were to formalize a Bitcoin reserve, it could set a precedent that would ripple across the globe — driving up price even further and accelerating the exclusion of small buyers.

Online discourse mirrors these worries. On platforms like X (formerly Twitter), traders and grassroots adopters have begun voicing concern that their once-accessible digital freedom coin is morphing into a billionaire’s reserve asset.

⚠️ Bitcoin’s Identity Shift: From Grassroots to Global Reserve?

While institutional adoption lends credibility and long-term security to Bitcoin’s value, it could dilute its original mission of financial inclusivity. Historically, retail investors and everyday users were the driving force behind BTC’s initial adoption. Now, the risk is that they may be pushed to the sidelines.

As Bitcoin shifts toward becoming a financial instrument favored by governments and Fortune 500 firms, the LONGITUDE panel called on retail participants to act with urgency. “This isn’t FOMO,” said Siu. “It’s a new economic order forming in real time.”

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