A Bitcoin whale dormant since 2012 has awakened, transferring a small test amount from a wallet holding 2,100 BTC worth approximately $148 million. The whale originally acquired the Bitcoin at about $6.50 per coin, representing a gain of over one million percent. Such test transactions are common to confirm wallet control, but market watchers often monitor whale activity for potential price impact.
A Bitcoin whale from the Satoshi era has reawakened after nearly 14 years of dormancy. The entity made a test transaction from its stash of 2,100 Bitcoin worth nearly $148 million at current prices.
Data shows around $47 worth of Bitcoin was transferred from the original wallet to a fresh address. The whale had been dormant since July 2012, when it acquired the Bitcoin at roughly $6.50 per coin.
The test transaction does not necessarily mean the whale intends to sell its holdings. Many whales make small transfers to confirm they still maintain full control over their funds.
However, crypto traders often watch whale transaction patterns to gauge Bitcoin’s short-term price movements. Their activity can have an outsized influence on market liquidity and sentiment.
Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan said in November that Satoshi-era wallets were partially to blame for Bitcoin failing to recover from a market flash crash. “Crypto-native retail” and early investors have “compressed upside” through large-scale selling, Hougan stated at the time.
One notable Satoshi-era transfer in 2025 involved 80,000 Bitcoin worth $4.6 billion sent to Galaxy Digital. Sending funds of that size to market makers and liquidity providers is typical when whales want to offload their holdings.
