A long-dormant Bitcoin wallet dating back to the early days of the cryptocurrency has just moved 10,000 BTC, worth approximately $1.09 billion at the time of the transfer, marking one of the largest and most historically significant transactions of 2025.
According to on-chain data, the wallet address 12tLs9c9RsALt4ockxa1hB4iTCTSmxj2me received exactly 10,000 BTC on April 3, 2011, when the price of Bitcoin was just $0.78 per coin.
At the time, the total transaction was worth only $7,805.
After remaining inactive for 14 years, the coins were finally moved on July 4, 2025, when Bitcoin was trading at roughly $109,246 per BTC, netting a profit of $1,092,456,394 from price appreciation alone.
The wallet has now been emptied entirely, with all 10,000 BTC transferred in a single transaction. It’s worth noting that this address had remained untouched for so long that it predates many key developments in the Bitcoin ecosystem, including the launch of major exchanges, institutional involvement, and even the creation of Ethereum.
Who could own the Bitcoin wallet?
While the wallet’s owner has not been identified, transactions of this size and vintage often spark speculation around Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator. However, blockchain analysts have previously mapped Satoshi’s coins and this address is not among the ones linked to the original miner.
Still, the movement of such a massive amount of “virgin” Bitcoin is rare and tends to capture the attention of both the crypto community and regulators.
Why now?
The motive behind the transfer remains unknown, but timing may be key. Bitcoin has recently returned to above $100,000, and liquidity conditions have improved following the rollout of multiple Bitcoin ETFs earlier this year. It’s possible the owner timed the move to take advantage of favorable market conditions, or to finally cash in on a decade-old investment.
Interestingly, this comes just as the number of Bitcoin millionaire wallets has surged, over 26,000 new addresses holding $1 million or more in BTC were added in the first half of 2025 alone.
Despite the massive dollar value, Bitcoin’s price has remained relatively stable in the immediate aftermath, suggesting the transaction may have been OTC (over-the-counter) or to another personal wallet, rather than for immediate sale on an exchange.
