An early Bitcoin miner transferred 2,000 BTC worth approximately $181 million on Friday after remaining dormant since November 2024.
The transaction processed at block height 931668 consolidates 40 separate mining rewards from 2010.
Each of the 40 original addresses received 50 BTC as block rewards during Bitcoin's earliest mining era when creator Satoshi Nakamoto was still active.
What Happened
The whale consolidated coins originally mined when Bitcoin traded below $0.10 per coin.
The 40 pay-to-public-key addresses represented mining rewards from Bitcoin's first operational year.
Based on historical patterns, the coins moved to Coinbase Exchange, typically indicating potential liquidation.
The miner's original acquisition cost approximately $20 based on 2010 Bitcoin prices.
Similar Satoshi-era wallet awakenings occurred throughout 2024 and 2025, with multiple dormant addresses transferring funds during Bitcoin's bull runs.
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Why It Matters
The movement represents a 905,000,000% gain over 15 years.
Early mining rewards used P2PK address formats, now considered obsolete but still functional.
Dormant Bitcoin wallets collectively hold an estimated 1.8 million BTC worth over $121 billion at current prices.
Large Satoshi-era transfers typically generate market speculation about potential selling pressure, though impact has been minimal during recent activations.
The timing coincides with Bitcoin consolidating near $90,000 following institutional ETF outflows.
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