A wallet from Bitcoin's early years has become active again after a 14-year hiatus. On-chain data showed that a "Satoshi-era" miner, who earned 4,000 BTC in 2009 and remained dormant for a long time, transferred 150 BTC (approximately $16 million).
According to data shared by blockchain analysis platform Whale Alert, the owner of the wallet in question mined Bitcoin between April and June 2009, earning approximately 4,000 BTC. This period coincides with the early days of the Bitcoin network and when Satoshi Nakamoto was still active in the community.
150 BTC Move After 14 Years of Silence
According to Nansen data, the anonymous investor sent 150 BTC to another address in a single transaction. The transfer was recorded on-chain on Thursday. On-chain analysis platform Mempool Space states that this wallet once held 7,850 BTC, was last active in 2011, and that 4,000 BTC were consolidated into a single address during that year. At today's prices, this amount is equivalent to approximately $442 million. Bitcoin was worth only $194 in 2010 when CoinMarketCap began tracking its price. This means this wallet's assets have appreciated millions of times over the past 14 years.
Is a sell-off coming?
On-chain movements often raise concerns among investors about "selling pressure?" However, analysts emphasize that the movements of such older wallets are often not sales, but rather reorganizations for security or technical reasons.
Independent blockchain analyst Emmett Gallic, in a post on his X account, stated that the "whale" in question held up to 8,000 BTC in the past and gradually transferred it to different addresses over the years. Gallic said, “After moving 150 BTC today, he now has 3,850 BTC left. This is an excellent strategy for long-term investors.”
Satoshi-era assets in demand
Similarly, in July, another Satoshi-era whale moved a massive 80,201 BTC holding for the first time in 14 years, with some of the transfers appearing to be directed to Galaxy Digital. According to analyst Willy Woo, older investors holding more than 10,000 BTC have been gradually selling since 2017. However, experts caution that such moves should not cause panic in the market.
Bitcoin price is currently trading around $111,000. The largest coin has risen from $108,000 to $111,200 in the last 24 hours. With daily trading volume exceeding $20 billion, a 150 BTC transfer is unlikely to have a significant impact on the price.
