How many bitcoins do governments and central banks own?

[deisik]

be careful what you wish for  

...
Alternatively, it can attempt to exercise direct control over digital
currencies by offering them a form of quasi-membership status, where increased
legitimacy is traded for Bitcoin users' business.
...

I'm utterly curious as to whom they are going to offer a membership status in the IMF. Who are those "them" actually, all bitcoin holders taken together and separately, or just miners alone? Why would anyone in their right mind want to have anything to do with this International Misery Fund?

Sounds like a job for the Bitcoin Foundation?
Isn't that their mission, to sell us out to the global elite, while paying the developers to make "approved upgrades"?

Your "approved upgrades" sounds a bit scary to me. Moreover, if they are really going to offer a membership status in the IMF to the Bitcoin Foundation, this most certainly means they aim to get control over Bitcoin through the Foundation, but since the latter has no control over the blockchain, why would they in the first place?

[lalaisen]

I think noone can know that because Bitcoin is anonymous unless they announced that

[loan4]

let's ask them because no one can answer your question except them

[vankoovo]

No one can know that unless they talk it out.

[GreenStox]

I dont think they own a single bitcoin. If a central bank buys something you would see obvious clues about that.

A central bank doesnt buy 1000$ worth of bitcoins, they buy them in billion $ quantities.

If they would be serious then the bitcoin market cap now would be like 1 trillion $ of which 98% would be from central banks.

If they are not serious , then they dont buy a single one because they got other things to worry about.

[AtheistAKASaneBrain]

No one can know that unless they talk it out.

Yeah I think its impossible to know, unless they make the mistake of making an address public that is linked to something gov related then we could keep track of it on the blockchain lol.

[bit73]

I guess central banks and private banks only own bitcoins for research matters so far.

They released some research papers or announced to develope own blockchain-based coins:

http://www.coindesk.com/european-central-bank-digital-currencies-inherently-unstable/
http://www.coindesk.com/ubs-to-research-blockchain-technology-in-london-lab/

[aso118]

I dont think they own a single bitcoin. If a central bank buys something you would see obvious clues about that.

A central bank doesnt buy 1000$ worth of bitcoins, they buy them in billion $ quantities.

If they would be serious then the bitcoin market cap now would be like 1 trillion $ of which 98% would be from central banks.

If they are not serious , then they dont buy a single one because they got other things to worry about.

Central banks/governments do not have to buy bitcoins.
Seized bitcoins (like Silk Road bitcoins) are included in their kitty too.
In the future, if governments allow payments for services through bitcoins (there is already some talk regarding this), their holdings will increase.

[chmod755]

In the future, if governments allow payments for services through bitcoins (there is already some talk regarding this), their holdings will increase.

Only if they decide to keep a balance in bitcoins...

[Totaldice]

The ones they have publicly admitted to having (Dark market coins) have been sold off I believe. That isn't to say they might have stashes of coins out of public view.

[aso118]

In the future, if governments allow payments for services through bitcoins (there is already some talk regarding this), their holdings will increase.

Only if they decide to keep a balance in bitcoins...

Yup. Since most governments run a deficit, it will only be rich governments which do this. If Bitcoin becomes some kind of a reserve currency, then most central banks will tend to hoard it. 

[Amph]

In the future, if governments allow payments for services through bitcoins (there is already some talk regarding this), their holdings will increase.

Only if they decide to keep a balance in bitcoins...

they don't need it, they are already rich, they can print useless money all days, this is why they are not interested in bitcoin

the only bitcoin they will ever have are those confiscated, and then used for various auctions

[GreenStox]

I dont think they own a single bitcoin. If a central bank buys something you would see obvious clues about that.

A central bank doesnt buy 1000$ worth of bitcoins, they buy them in billion $ quantities.

If they would be serious then the bitcoin market cap now would be like 1 trillion $ of which 98% would be from central banks.

If they are not serious , then they dont buy a single one because they got other things to worry about.

Central banks/governments do not have to buy bitcoins.
Seized bitcoins (like Silk Road bitcoins) are included in their kitty too.
In the future, if governments allow payments for services through bitcoins (there is already some talk regarding this), their holdings will increase.

They already auctioned those coins, so i dont think they hold them. Besides that was a law enforcement agency holding the coins and not the treasury.

There is a difference between coins held as evidence in a crime, or coins held in a treasury account which then can be used for spending or who knows what.

[mrhelpful]

It wouldnt be the government, but more towards banks thats have ties with private networks between companies.

Companies that have access to large transactions doing insider deals can take place. Eg: Coinbase

Instead of a bank getting involved, they have friends who place their money into a VC firm, which then funds the start ups like coinbase. They play both sides of this game, it was never a competition since thats an illusion for most.

They play to win, not to lose. Its a zero sum game, 1 way bets.