Recently, I started researching how much money actually exists in the world, and the answer is quite revealing.

The most surprising figure is that all the physical cash in circulation—banknotes and coins—amounts to just about $9 trillion. It seems like a lot, but when you compare it to other forms of money, it’s practically nothing.

Where there is significant volume is in bank accounts. Regular deposits total around $100 trillion, and if we add large deposits and institutional investments, we reach about $150 trillion. That’s money that exists, but not necessarily in your pocket.

Now here’s the interesting part: the total amount of money in the world in terms of actual cash plus deposits is approximately $150 trillion. But here’s the key data point that changes the perspective: the United States controls nearly $62 trillion, China has about $16 trillion, and Japan around $6.5 trillion. In other words, the U.S. holds almost half of the entire global monetary wealth.

Then there are all the financial assets: stocks, bonds, derivatives, cryptocurrencies. That sums to more than one quintillion dollars, but note, that’s no longer money itself; these are asset valuations.

So when people say there isn’t enough money for Bitcoin to keep growing, the reality is that there’s actually much more than most people imagine. The problem isn’t the amount available, but how it’s distributed and controlled.

This perspective helps you understand why certain countries have such influence over global markets. When you see who controls the majority of monetary flows, you understand much better how the game works.