Alarming Trend? Wallet Containing 1,000 BTC Wakes After 12 Years 

• The crypto markets have pared recent gains.
• As the markets correct, several dormant addresses with significant holdings have awoken.
• The awakening of several inactive addresses has given market participants pause for thought.

Last week, the crypto markets endured deep corrections after an overall positive run so far in 2023. Market participants fear that the correction is set to continue as several hitherto dormant addresses with extensive crypto holdings have begun to move funds in recent days.

Another Dormant Wallet Wakes

In a tweet on Monday, April 24, crypto whale tracking service “Whale Alert” reported that a formerly dormant Bitcoin wallet holding over 1000 BTC (worth an approximate $27.48 million at the time of writing) had carried out a transaction for the first time in 12 years.

Per the shared transaction data, the wallet starting “1Mj” transferred 400 BTC to a different wallet, starting “3BJ”, in four transactions of 100 BTC each, conducted in quick succession at around 10:17 am UTC.

Dynamo DeFi founder Patrick Scott put things into context by highlighting that the last time the wallet conducted a transaction was less than a year after Laszlo Hanyecz famously purchased two pizzas for 10,000 BTC on May 22, 2010.

The wallet starting 1Mj is the third Bitcoin dormant address to have awakened in the last four days. 

Bears Come Out of Hibernation?

On Wednesday, April 19, a Bitcoin wallet holding 6,071 BTC (worth about $166.97 million at current rates) carried out a transaction for the first time in 13 years, as reported by Whale Alert. The wallet starting “1Jd” sent 2,071 BTC to another address starting “3HB.”  

Then on Friday, April 21, a dormant address holding 1,128 BTC (roughly $31 million at the time of writing) conducted a transaction after 10 and a half years of dormancy, as reported by Whale Alert. The address starting “12A” now holds only about 665.64 BTC per Blockchain.com data.

The trend of awakening dormant addresses is not limited to Bitcoin alone. At least two previously inactive Ethereum addresses have also awoken in less than two weeks. In the most recent instance, an Ethereum Initial Coin Offering participant with 2,365 ETH conducted a transaction for the first time in 7.7 years, sending out one ETH in a single transaction.

The trend is worrying as previously dormant account activity is typically associated with increased selling pressure and it has not gone unnoticed by Crypto Twitter. 

Crypto Twitter Reacts

“Trading Soldier,” @trading_soldier on Twitter asserted that the crypto markets are at the precipice of a significant capitulation event.

BitBusiness founder Jon Cole suggested that the recently active dormant wallet holders could be connected, musing that it “seems coordinated.”

Some users have speculated that the recent activity is linked to Silk Road, the infamous dark web marketplace, as rumors have circulated that some drug dealers who used the platform have recently been released. There is no confirmation of this.

Bitcoin’s price has not reacted to the news. It is trading for $27,628.99 on mainstream exchanges at the time of writing, per CoinGecko data, representing a 0.1% gain in the last 24 hours.

On the Flipside 

• There is no confirmation that these whales are selling. They may be moving funds to new wallets.

Why You Should Care 

Large crypto holders, known as whales, can influence the prices of crypto assets by either buying or selling. Long-term dormant whale addresses represent holders who bought crypto assets at significantly lower prices than current rates.

FAQs

To learn more about recent crypto market activity, read this:

Crypto Markets Bleed as Bitcoin Loses a Week’s Gains in 15 Minutes 

Interested in the impact of U.S. crypto regulations on the industry? Read this:

Does Crypto Need the U.S. to Succeed? Messari Chief Sparks Debate