Less than 0.25% of the adult population currently has an investment in bitcoin. That’s less than one in 400 persons. The actual estimate is close to one adult in 800. On the other hand, a far higher percentage have heard of bitcoin. Publicity in the mainstream media is growing.

Over the last 12 months there were 1’700’000 new first time users of bitcoin, bringing the total number of bitcoin users to 5.6 million at the end of Sept 2017. That was a 43% increase in the number of first-time bitcoin owners.

Those new users together with the 3’900’000 previous bitcoin owners bought an estimated 4.6 million bitcoin. That’s an average of 0.82 bitcoins per user.

The supply of newly mined bitcoin over the last 12 months was nearly 700’000 coins. The remaining 3.9 million of supply came from existing holders, especially whales, who reduced their holdings as the price rose.

For more research like this see the blog I wrote today.