Early Bitcoin wallets have stirred. Five wallets from Bitcoin's inception are moving funds after 15 years of inactivity.
The wallets date back to January and February 2009. This was mere weeks after Bitcoin's launch. Each wallet received 50 Bitcoin as a mining reward.
Blockchain data confirms the movements. One wallet's reward arrived on January 29, 2009. Three more received theirs on January 31. The final wallet was credited on February 2.
These dates are significant. They closely follow Bitcoin's genesis on January 3, 2009. Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin's pseudonymous creator, mined the first block then.
The timing suggests a connection to Bitcoin's earliest days. These wallets likely belonged to individuals present at the cryptocurrency's birth.
The value of these coins has skyrocketed. Initially worth nothing, they now represent a fortune. At current prices, the 250 Bitcoin total about $15.9 million.
This valuation is based on Bitcoin's current trading price (roughly $63,000 per token).
The crypto community is abuzz with speculation. Some suggest long-lost hard drives have been found. Others theorize about coma patients waking to newfound wealth.
More intriguing theories abound. Some believe the wallets might belong to Nakamoto himself, others point to Hal Finney, an early Bitcoin adopter.
Finney's involvement is noteworthy. He received the first Bitcoin transaction from Nakamoto on January 12, 2009. This was just days after Bitcoin's launch.