A whale from 2010 withdrew 1,000 BTC after 14 years of silence.
Date: 2025-12-08 Author: Henry Casey Categories: CRYPTO PAYMENTS
A rare case has been recorded in the crypto market: an anonymous Bitcoin owner who had not made a single transaction since 2010 suddenly moved 1,000 BTC to a new address. At the time of the transfer, the value of this sum was estimated to exceed $89 million. The activity was reported by analysts at Lookonchain, who noted the unusual movement of funds from the so-called "dormant" wallet.
According to blockchain data, these Bitcoins were acquired by the owner early in the network's history. In 2010, the price of the first cryptocurrency was around $3.88 per coin, making the initial investment worth only $3,883. Over the years, the asset has appreciated thousands of times in value, turning this modest investment into a fortune.
Additional details were provided by the Documenting Bitcoin account on the X social network (formerly Twitter). They clarified that this activity involved two Casascius coins, each containing 1,000 BTC. These physical bitcoins were issued in the early years and were real coins, with a hologram concealing a private key. Any tampering with the security layer made the activation obvious, providing an additional layer of trust. The block number reported by the experts—926567—matched the one previously reported by Lookonchain.
The activity of such old coins quickly attracted the attention of community members. X users began discussing whether such movements could impact the market. One commenter noted that such "awakenings" should not be automatically taken as a signal of growth or decline. He argued that it is more of a liquidity test: if the market calmly absorbs a trade worth tens of millions of dollars without sharp fluctuations, then Bitcoin trading depth remains high.
This story gained further resonance in light of recent similar incidents. In September 2025, another major holder transferred 1,000 BTC after 12 years of complete inactivity. These episodes once again raise questions about how many more such "dormant" wallets remain online and under what circumstances their owners will decide to access their assets.
Such events invariably generate interest not only among traders but also among blockchain researchers. They serve as a vivid reminder of the early stages of Bitcoin's development, when coins were mined by enthusiasts who had no idea how valuable this asset would become.
