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<p>Dormant bitcoin wallets moved 100 BTC worth about $6.89 million on November 13, after sitting inactive for more than 16 years. The coins came from two 50 BTC mining rewards received in September 2010, when Whale Alert valued each reward at about $3. The transfers show the coins moved, not why they moved or whether anyone sold them.</p>
<ul>
 <li>The two addresses each sent 50 BTC, according to The Block, just over two minutes apart on Friday, November 13.</li>
 <li>The transactions took place at 4:08 a.m. UTC and shortly afterward, with both addresses traced to September 2010 mining rewards.</li>
 <li>Whale Alert put the combined value of the rewards at about $6 when received. Decrypt reported their later value was nearly 1.15 million times higher.</li>
 <li>The first transfer sent nearly 50 BTC to one destination and 0.01 BTC to another. The second sent nearly 49 BTC to one destination and 1 BTC to another.</li>
 <li>About 59 BTC had been consolidated at a new address by 4:48 a.m. UTC, The Block reported. The owners and recipients remain unidentified.</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="timeline-of-the-dormant-bitcoin-wallets">Timeline of the dormant bitcoin wallets</h2>
<ol>
 <li><strong>September 2010:</strong> Each address received a 50 BTC mining reward. Whale Alert said the rewards were worth about $3 apiece at the time.</li>
 <li><strong>November 10, 2026:</strong> A Bitcoin.com News report citing Checkonchain data said around 227,196 BTC acquired before 2019 had been revived during 2026. The report cautioned that datasets measure dormant-coin activity in different ways.</li>
 <li><strong>November 13, 2026, 4:08 a.m. UTC:</strong> The first 50 BTC reward moved. The second address transferred its coins just over two minutes later, according to The Block.</li>
 <li><strong>November 13, 2026, by 4:48 a.m. UTC:</strong> Around 59 BTC from the transfers had been brought together at a new address. The Block said the reason for the transfers was unknown.</li>
 <li><strong>November 14, 2026:</strong> Bitcoin traded at $68,262 at 00:20 UTC, according to CoinGecko market data. That snapshot came after the transfers and does not show that the wallet activity drove the price.</li>
</ol>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://thebitjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/archive-ledger-key-4daa18-1024x683.webp" alt="An old notebook and brass key on an archive desk" width="1024" height="683" title="Dormant Bitcoin Wallets Move 100 BTC After 16 Years 1">
 <figcaption>
  The addresses' reported history reaches back to mining rewards received in 2010.
 </figcaption>
</figure>
<h2 id="background-on-dormant-bitcoin-wallets">Background on dormant bitcoin wallets</h2>
<p>The Block reported that both addresses’ coins came from 50 BTC mining rewards received in September 2010. The original owners and recipients were unidentified, and the reason for the transfers was unknown. The reported movements identify where the BTC was sent in the transactions, but do not establish who controlled the addresses.</p>
<p>The transaction pattern offers more detail than a single headline number. Each reward was split across destinations, and some of the funds were later consolidated. That is evidence of subsequent on-chain movement, not proof of a sale, an exchange deposit, or a change in beneficial ownership. The Block reported that recipients and original owners were unknown.</p>
<p>The episode fits a wider pattern of older coins becoming active, though totals depend on how researchers define dormancy. Bitcoin.com News cited a separate analysis of Btcparser records that counted 33,932.19 BTC moved from addresses established between 2010 and 2017 across 873 movements from January through October 2026. That is a different measure from Checkonchain’s larger estimate, so the figures should not be treated as directly comparable.</p>
<p>CoinDesk also reported that six wallets last active between 2011 and 2014 moved 553.59 BTC, worth about $40 million, from August 16 to 26, 2026. The outlet cited Galaxy Research as finding that dormant-coin movement fell in the second quarter to its lowest level since the third quarter of 2022. A burst of attention around one transfer can coexist with broader periods of lower activity.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://thebitjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/server-room-doorway-2c527d-1024x683.webp" alt="A quiet server room with one illuminated network cabinet" width="1024" height="683" title="Dormant Bitcoin Wallets Move 100 BTC After 16 Years 2">
 <figcaption>
  Public transaction records reveal movements, but not an address owner's identity.
 </figcaption>
</figure>
<h2 id="reactions-and-market-context">Reactions and market context</h2>
<p>The Block’s report focused on the age and value of the coins, while Decrypt highlighted how sharply their value had changed since 2010. Neither outlet identified a seller. Whale Alert’s estimate of about $6 for the original rewards makes the contrast striking, but it doesn’t tell us whether the current holders realized any gain.</p>
<p>CoinDesk has previously noted that wallet transfers do not necessarily mean sales. The transactions here do not establish that the BTC was sold, and The Block reported that the recipients were unidentified.</p>
<table>
 <thead>
  <tr>
   <th>Measure</th>
   <th>Reading</th>
   <th>As of</th>
  </tr>
 </thead>
 <tbody>
  <tr>
   <td>Bitcoin price</td>
   <td>$68,262</td>
   <td>November 14, 2026, 00:20 UTC</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>BTC 24-hour change</td>
   <td>-4.24%</td>
   <td>November 14, 2026, 00:20 UTC</td>
  </tr>
 </tbody>
</table>
<p>CoinGecko’s November 14 snapshot showed Bitcoin down 4.24% over 24 hours, but it can’t establish a connection between that decline and these transfers. The Crypto Fear &amp; Greed Index registered 13, classified as Extreme Fear, on November 14, according to Alternative.me. Such indicators describe market conditions, not the motive behind a specific wallet transaction.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://thebitjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/empty-trading-floor-903ced-1024x683.webp" alt="An empty trading floor after hours with city lights reflected in glass" width="1024" height="683" title="Dormant Bitcoin Wallets Move 100 BTC After 16 Years 3">
 <figcaption>
  Bitcoin's market backdrop was weak in the November 14 snapshot, but the transfer's impact is unproven.
 </figcaption>
</figure>
<h2 id="what-to-watch-next">What to watch next</h2>
<p>Further on-chain movements could add information about where the BTC went, but a transfer alone would not establish a sale. The available reporting does not identify the owners or recipients, and The Block said the reason for the transfers was unknown.</p>
<p>Other dormant bitcoin wallets may also move, but activity totals need careful comparison because datasets use different methods to measure dormant-coin activity. Researchers’ estimates can put individual transfers in context, though the figures do not identify the owners or explain their intentions.</p>
<p>The available reports establish that the BTC moved and that about 59 BTC had been consolidated at a new address by 4:48 a.m. UTC. They do not identify the owners or recipients, explain the reason for the transfers, or establish that the coins were sold.</p>
<h2 id="faq">FAQ</h2>
<h3 id="why-did-these-dormant-bitcoin-wallets-move">Why did these dormant bitcoin wallets move?</h3>
<p>The reason is unknown. The Block reported that the owners and recipients were unidentified, and the transactions alone don’t disclose the purpose.</p>
<h3 id="were-the-100-btc-sold">Were the 100 BTC sold?</h3>
<p>There is no evidence in the reported transactions that proves a sale. A transfer changes where coins are recorded, but it does not establish that they were sent to an exchange or sold.</p>
<h3 id="how-much-were-the-2010-rewards-worth">How much were the 2010 rewards worth?</h3>
<p>Whale Alert said each 50 BTC reward was worth about $3 when received in September 2010, or roughly $6 combined. The Block valued the 100 BTC moved in November 2026 at about $6.89 million.</p>
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 <h2 id="related-articles">Related Articles</h2>
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  <li><a href="https://thebitjournal.com/bitcoin-short-term-holders-exchange-loss/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Bitcoin Short-Term Holders Send 47,025 BTC to Exchanges at a Loss</a></li>
  <li><a href="https://thebitjournal.com/zcash-whale-nu7-position/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Zcash Whale Builds Nearly $14M Exposure Ahead of NU7</a></li>
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 </ul>
</div>
<h2 class="cac-sources-heading" id="sources">Sources</h2>
<ul>
 <li><a href="https://decrypt.co/383264/dormant-bitcoin-wallets-wake-up-after-16-years" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Dormant Bitcoin Wallets Wake Up After 16 Years, Moving $6.9 Million</a> (Decrypt)</li>
 <li><a href="https://www.theblock.co/news/markets/2026-11-13-from-6-to-6-9-million-two-dormant-bitcoin-addresses-wake-up-to-move-100-btc-after-more-than-16-years-439698" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">From $6 to $6.9 million: Two dormant Bitcoin addresses wake up to move 100 BTC after more than 16 years</a> (The Block)</li>
 <li><a href="https://x.com/whale_alert/status/2121094145133465636" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Whale Alert on X: dormant Bitcoin transfers</a> (x.com)</li>
</ul>
<p><em>This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrencies are highly volatile; always do your own research before investing.</em></p>
<p><strong>Read More:</strong><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Dormant Bitcoin Wallets Move 100 BTC After 16 Years</a>"&gt;<a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://thebitjournal.com/dormant-bitcoin-wallets-move/">Dormant Bitcoin Wallets Move 100 BTC After 16 Years</a></p>

Dormant Bitcoin Wallets Move 100 BTC After 16 Years

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