- Two wallets holding 10,000 BTC each—worth $2.18B—moved funds after 14 years, with both originally funded from a single source in April 2011.
- The transactions used both legacy and modern Bitcoin address formats, suggesting asset management over liquidation, possibly by a single sophisticated holder.
- Although no sales have occurred yet, the movement could signal consolidation or preparation for an OTC trade, keeping the market alert for further on-chain activity.
Two long-dormant Bitcoin wallets, inactive since April 2011, have suddenly come to life—transferring a combined 20,000 BTC (worth around $2.18 billion) on July 4. The rare on-chain activity immediately caught the attention of analysts and traders, with many speculating on the reason behind the synchronized transfers.
From Pennies to Billions: 14 Years of Dormancy Ends
These wallets were originally funded on April 3, 2011, when Bitcoin was trading at just $0.78. That places the total original acquisition cost at just $15,610. Fast-forward 14 years, and that early investment has ballooned in value by nearly 14 million percent. Both wallet addresses—12tLs9c9RsALt4ockxa1hB4iTCTSsmxj and 1KbxrSKrT3GeETuuYUSQ35JwkbrAw—received 10,000 BTC each from a single source address, suggesting they’ve been under unified control all this time.
Minutes Apart, Different Destinations
The transfers, which happened within minutes of each other, were flagged by Lookonchain and confirmed on Bitinfocharts. Interestingly, the coins were sent to two different types of addresses: one went to a legacy Pay-to-Public-Key-Hash (P2PKH) address, and the other to a modern Bech32 SegWit address. This dual-format movement implies careful management by a technically savvy holder, rather than a rushed liquidation.
No Panic—Yet: Strategic Consolidation or Pre-Sale Prep?
While big moves like this can unsettle the market—fearing sell-offs—the transfer structure suggests a more nuanced motive. There’s no evidence yet that the funds have hit any exchanges. However, an OTC deal may be in the works, or it could be simple consolidation for estate or security purposes. Regardless, this isn’t your average whale wake-up. It’s a legacy move from the “Satoshi era,” and it’s likely being watched closely by major players.
