About 250 BTC from Bitcoin’s early days, known as the “Satoshi era,” were transferred in five separate transactions on Friday, with each transferring about 50 BTC to new wallets. The total value of the transfers was nearly $16 million.
JUST IN: Satoshi Era #Bitcoin wallets just moved over 250 BTC worth $16 million mined in January 2009 🤯
The wallet owner held from $0 to $63,000. Legendary! 🙌
— Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) September 20, 2024
The coins were originally mined in January 2009, just months after Bitcoin launched, and have been dormant since then. Arkham Blockchain Analysis shows that the wallets are not linked to Bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator, Satoshi Nakamoto.
The original wallets that moved the coins are: 1CGT3Ywaa2upJfWtUtbXonDPNTfZPWqzmA, 1MBBJBFEaYKHFZAeV7hQ7DWdu3aZktjzFH, 13J8FkimCLQ2EnP1xRm7yHhpaZQa9H4p8E, 18E5d2wQdAfutcXgziHZR71izLRyjSzGSX, 1C4rE41Kox3jZbdJT9yatyh4H2fMxP8qmD
The transfers probably belonged to an early Bitcoin miner who acquired the coins when BTC was practically worthless. After holding them for over 15 years, they are now valued at $16 million.
This shows the conviction of early believers who recognized Bitcoin’s potential value long before the recent meteoric price rises. The anonymous owner mined and held these coins when Bitcoin was a niche experiment, showing remarkable confidence.
While the original owner remains a mystery, the transfers represent one of the largest amounts of “Satoshi era” Bitcoin ever moved. There has been no activity to send the coins to exchanges, suggesting the owner intends to continue holding on to them.