A massive Bitcoin fortune, dormant for 13 years, just woke up. This “whale” investor, holding nearly a thousand Bitcoins, moved a chunk of their digital wealth this week. For over a decade, these funds sat untouched, growing from a small investment into an astounding amount of money.
This isn’t just a small transfer. The addresses, likely controlled by one owner, stirred for the first time in 13 years. One sent 5 Bitcoins to the Kraken exchange. This move might mean they plan to sell some of their hoard. The whole stash of 955 Bitcoins was worth less than $11,500 over a decade ago. Today, that same amount is worth more than $100 million.
On-chain watchers quickly spotted this unusual activity and shared it on social media. The account OnchainLens on X reported that the unknown wallet sent 132.03 Bitcoins to a fresh address. Then came the 5 Bitcoins to Kraken, which usually hints at selling. Even after these transfers, that single wallet still holds 307.79 Bitcoins, now valued at over $35 million.
This wasn’t a single isolated event. Two other addresses, thought to belong to the same Bitcoin giant, also became active. They hadn’t seen any action since August 2012. Crypto analyst Lookonchain tracked these movements using data from Bitinfocharts. They confirmed that all three wallets together hold 955 Bitcoins. This amount is currently worth about $108.8 million.
3 wallets (likely belonging to the same whale) with 955 ($108.8M) transferred 137.03 ($15.63M) after 13 years of dormancy, with 5 going to a wallet.
13 years ago, the price of was just $12.https://t.co/6Kv2Lquq59 pic.twitter.com/d4udtEbUuE
— Lookonchain (@lookonchain)
Records show all three wallets first received funds on August 13, 2012. Two of them received their last Bitcoins just a day later. The third address, the one that recently sent Bitcoins to Kraken, last saw activity on November 26, 2012. It received 137.03 Bitcoins that day.
Thirteen years ago, Bitcoin was cheap, costing only about $12 per coin. So, that joint stash of 955 Bitcoins was worth roughly $11,460 back then. If we look at Bitcoin’s price of $114,000 when this article was written, that’s a jaw-dropping jump of nearly 1,000,000%. Talk about a smart long-term hold!
Old Bitcoin Fortunes on the Move
The real reason for these transfers remains a puzzle. The owner’s identity is still a secret. However, that small transfer to an exchange like Kraken often means someone is cashing in.
This activity is part of a bigger trend. More old Bitcoin whales have been showing signs of life lately. This comes as Bitcoin continues to hit new price records.
Bitcoin first broke the six-figure mark in early 2025. This surge was largely due to positive vibes around Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration in the U.S. Since then, the leading cryptocurrency has kept climbing, setting fresh peaks. The latest record high was set last month, crossing $124,000.
While Bitcoin has now fallen back about 8% from that record, according to CoinGecko, it makes sense that these old holders might be taking advantage of the high prices. They could be locking in some profits after years of waiting. But it’s not always about selling. Sometimes, these transfers are for technical upgrades to old wallets or to move funds into other types of assets.
Just last month, other Bitcoin whales were seen trading their vintage coins for Ethereum. Ethereum, the second-biggest cryptocurrency, also saw its price jump, almost hitting $5,000.
For those new to the crypto world, a “Bitcoin whale” is simply an investor or group holding a huge amount of Bitcoin, usually over 1,000 coins. Their moves can significantly sway the market. Traders often watch these transfers and sales closely. They can signal whether Bitcoin’s price might go up or down.