Around 250 BTC from the early days of Bitcoin, known as the “Satoshi era,” were transferred on Friday in five separate transactions, each moving around 50 BTC to new wallets. The total value of the transfers was close to $16 million.
The coins were originally mined in January 2009, just months after Bitcoin’s launch, and have lain dormant since. Arkham blockchain analysis shows 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 likely 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 demonstrates 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, exhibiting remarkable faith.
While the original owner remains a mystery, the transfers are among one of the largest amounts of “Satoshi era” Bitcoin ever moved. There has been no activity sending the coins to exchanges, indicating the owner may intend to continue holding them.