Satoshi? — Decade-Old 300 BTC Wallet Suddenly Springs to Life as Bitcoin Price Stabilizes

A dormant Bitcoin wallet containing 300 BTC, valued at nearly $30 million, has reawakened after over a decade of inactivity, sparking speculation across the crypto community.

The wallet, believed to have been inactive since late 2011 or early 2012, initiated a transaction earlier this week, transferring 61 BTC worth approximately $6 million.

The remaining 239 BTC, still residing in the address, are valued at around $24 million. While no funds have yet been sent to known exchange addresses, the move has reignited debate over the behavior of early Bitcoin adopters and the broader implications for the market.

Blockchain analytics platform Whale Alert flagged the transaction Sunday, noting the address had shown no activity for over 11 years. 

These so-called “Satoshi-era” wallets, often attributed to early miners or adopters, contain coins acquired when Bitcoin traded below $10. With today’s price hovering just under $105,000, the owner of this particular wallet is sitting on a return of more than 23,000%.

Notably, the activity coincided with heightened market volatility. Following the transfer, Bitcoin’s price dropped sharply, breaking key support zones around $100,700 and testing a local low of $98,445 before recovering slightly and strongly on Monday.

Market analysts suggest that while the transfer did not trigger a mass panic, it has prompted traders to exercise caution. 

“These old-school moves can jolt short-term sentiment, with traders watching for potential dump or just a stealthy rebalance,” said one observer on X.

The mystery behind the motivation remains. Some speculate the holder could be preparing to liquidate a portion of their holdings, while others suggest it may be part of a larger asset reallocation strategy. Still, the fact that most of the coins remain untouched has offered some relief to investors wary of a sudden flood of supply.

This isn’t the only dormant whale to resurface recently. On May 13, another post-Satoshi-era wallet holding 300 BTC, valued at over $31 million, became active after 11.1 years. And in April, a staggering 1,078 BTC worth more than $100 million was moved from a 2013 wallet, underscoring the growing trend of long-silent addresses stirring as Bitcoin consolidates near all-time highs.

Meanwhile, while retail traders continue to scale back, recent data from Santiment shows that whales and sharks, wallets between 10 and 10,000 BTC, have collectively acquired over 83,000 BTC in the past 30 days.

On June 20, Santiment further highlighted how wallets with over 10 BTC increased by 231 in just 10 days. In contrast, smaller wallets holding between 0.001 and 10 BTC declined by 37,465 over the same period.

With Bitcoin trading slightly above $107,391 at press time, this accumulation, paired with the reactivations of ancient wallets, highlights how BTC ownership is changing and how these changes can quickly influence market mood and behavior.