On Monday, according to onchain data from btcparser.com, a wallet holding 100 BTC from 2011 sprang to life, moving its entire balance. Originally stored in a Pay-to-Public-Key-Hash (P2PKH) address, the 100 bitcoin was shifted at block height 865,649 into two fresh wallets. One, a change address, also a legacy P2PKH like the original, received 69.99 BTC, while the other, a Pay-to-Script-Hash (P2SH) address, picked up 30 BTC. As of now, the funds are still sitting in these wallets.
Blockchair’s privacy tool gave the transaction a score of zero due to identified matched addresses and the clean transfer of exactly 30 BTC. This rating is based on a blockchain analysis heuristic that flags transfers like this as part of the “round number assumption.” Essentially, when a transaction includes a round-number output, analysts often suspect that this amount went to the intended recipient, since humans naturally prefer working with round numbers.
Wallets from 2011 are becoming a rare sight, almost as scarce as those from 2010, though they’re still a bit more common than the elusive 2009 transfers. Earlier this month, there was a small 2011 transaction on Oct. 9, when the owner moved just one bitcoin at block height 864,881. The recent 100 BTC move, however, stands as the largest dormant bitcoin transfer from the 2009-2017 era this month—although it shares that title with another transfer from a 2014 wallet. That particular owner sent 100 BTC from a wallet created on Jan. 5, 2014, moving the funds at block 864,074 on Oct. 4.
As bitcoin’s early wallets continue to wake from their slumber, each transfer offers a glimpse into the long-held fortunes of crypto’s early adopters. The movement of 100 BTC from a 2011 wallet adds another chapter to this ongoing narrative, reminding us of the vast amounts of dormant bitcoin that still remain untouched. While it’s impossible to predict when or why these funds will be moved, each awakening sparks interest and speculation in the crypto community. With every transfer, we are reminded of bitcoin’s enduring appeal, as well as the mystery behind these long-inactive wallets.
