Two dormant Bitcoin wallets holding 20,000 BTC ($2.18 billion) suddenly sprang to life on July 4 after 14 years of inactivity. The coins—originally purchased in April 2011 at just $0.78 each—were transferred to new addresses, representing a staggering 14,000,000% gain. Blockchain data reveals the wallets were funded from a single source in 2011, confirming a common owner.
Transaction Details
• First Transfer: 10,000 BTC moved to a legacy P2PKH address
• Second Transfer: 10,000 BTC sent to a modern Bech32 SegWit address
• Timing: Transactions occurred minutes apart, detected by analytics platform Lookonchain
• Original Investment: $15,610 for 20,000 BTC in 2011
Bitcoin OG moves 10k BTC (Source: Bitinfocharts)
The movement of these “Satoshi-era” coins—a term for early Bitcoin holdings—suggests sophisticated asset management rather than panic selling. Notably, the transfers coincided with Bitcoin trading at $109,027, amid bullish 2025 price predictions of $80,840–$181,000 from analysts like Peter Brandt and BlackRock .
Market Implications
While large dormant wallet movements often trigger sell-off fears, the varied destination addresses (legacy vs. modern) indicate strategic repositioning. The coins now reside in two new wallets, with the owner’s intent unclear. This event underscores Bitcoin’s unprecedented growth: a $15,610 investment ballooning to $2.18 billion in 14 years.
