A mysterious investor is using the services of an exclusive peer-to-peer network in an attempt to buy 25% of the current circulating supply of Bitcoin.
Deep pockets looking to corner the crypto market
This shadowy investor is not looking to pick up stacks of BTC from the many cryptocurrency exchanges in existence, however.
He (or she) is doing so through the services of the Dadiani Syndicate instead.
Based in Mayfair, one of London’s most exclusive and wealthiest districts, the Dadiani Syndicate is a peer-to-peer network for the ultra-rich that enables investors to buy and sell cryptocurrency between themselves.
While the platform was originally created to allow clients to cash out their crypto assets, owner Eleesa Dadiani quickly found that many prospective clients wanted the company’s assistance in buying “enormous amounts of Bitcoin.”
“One of our clients approached us and said they were interested in acquiring 25% of all Bitcoin currently available,” Dadiani recounts, adding “There are a number of entities who want to dominate the market.”
While such a purchase is unlikely, were the investor to be successful, it would work out to over 4.4 million bitcoins worth more than US$37 billion (AU$53.5 billion) at current prices.
Worries about price and slippage
Financial analysts – and Dadiani herself – say that buying such a large amount of BTC could have significant repercussions in the market.
Dadiani worries about slippage, which is the price difference between the time a trade is agreed upon and the time it is actually completed.
A small change in price, either up or down, could have a substantial impact on the value of the trade due to the large amounts of Bitcoin involved.
Another possible repercussion is a change in the price of the virtual currency if large trades are pushed.
eToro senior market analyst Mati Greenspan points out that a single buyer purchasing such a large number of bitcoins could have a significant impact on its price.
“A buyer of this size is going to push the price up to make this kind of accumulation even more expensive,” he notes.
For example, CoinMetrics research that showed the jump in Bitcoin price from $4,200 to $5,000 at the beginning of April was due to a “single committed actor” making a trade worth $100 million.
Greenspan does cite several factors on why a single mysterious investor buying a full 25% of the BTC supply is something not to be worried about.
He explains that many bitcoins are still being held by long-term hodlers who have no plans on selling their crypto any time soon, and he goes on to state his belief that there are “probably less than 5 million coins actually circulating at the moment.”
Still, Dadiani says that interest in Bitcoin from big investors “has never waned.”
The Dadiani Syndicate currently only brokers Bitcoin sales and purchases due to the fact that it is the one cryptocurrency that big-time investors are looking to buy.
However, she does concede that the business could expand into other cryptocurrencies should her clients start showing significant interest in altcoins.