TechBitcoin Mined in 2010 Finally Moves After 16 Years, Valued at $8.5 Million
These 100 BTC originated from two mining rewards from the early days of Bitcoin and remained untouched for over 16 years.
By Shaurya Malwa|Edited by Jamie CrawleyUpdated Oct 8, 2026, 7:47 a.m. EDTPublished Oct 8, 2026, 7:30 a.m. EDT2 min readMake preferred on ShareShare this articleCopy linkX (Twitter)LinkedInFacebookEmailMake preferred on
A statue of Satoshi Nakamoto, the assumed creator of Bitcoin, displayed in Graphisoft Park, Budapest, Hungary, on September 22, 2021. (Photo by Janos Kummer)- Approximately 100 bitcoin mined in July 2010 were moved on Wednesday after being dormant for over 16 years, increasing in value from about $6 to around $8.5 million.
- The coins, originating from two mining rewards, date back to the “Satoshi era,” though this does not imply any direct link to Bitcoin’s enigmatic founder.
- The transaction involved sending 10 bitcoin to one address and roughly 90.02 bitcoin to another, but public records do not disclose the identity of the owner or whether they plan to sell.
About 100 bitcoin BTC$82,471.74 that were mined when the cryptocurrency was valued at mere cents were transferred late Wednesday, now holding a value of approximately $8.5 million based on current market rates.
The 100.02 BTC were initially deposited into an address on July 30, 2010, and remained there until a transaction was confirmed on Wednesday at 18:52 UTC, as per CoinDesk’s analysis of Bitcoin transactions. The movement was first noted by Galaxy Research, the research division of cryptocurrency services firm Galaxy Digital, on X.
When the coins were first received, Bitcoin was trading at around 6 cents, giving them an initial market value of about $6, according to historical data from StatMuse. This figure illustrates their significant appreciation over time, rather than the amount the holder initially paid or gained from a potential sale.
Older holdings often capture interest because coins that have not been traded in a long time can suddenly become available for sale. Some of these coins may have been considered lost due to lack of activity for years. A successful transfer indicates that the holder still has access to them, but public records do not clarify if the current owner is the original miner or if they intend to liquidate the coins.
There have been instances of much larger amounts being sold previously. For example, Galaxy reported in July 2025 that it had sold over 80,000 BTC on behalf of an early investor as part of an estate planning process. However, the recent transaction is considerably smaller, and the records do not confirm a sale.
100 bitcoin mined for pennies in 2010 moves after 16 years. (Shaurya Malwa/CoinDesk)Old Coins, Active Address
The alert raised questions since the address had previously spent other bitcoin between 2011 and 2018.
Bitcoin tracks incoming transactions separately, allowing a wallet to utilize one transaction while leaving others untouched. These unspent transactions are termed UTXOs. Therefore, an address can remain active while some coins lie dormant for years, as seen in this case.
The address had spent 200 BTC across two transactions in August 2015, another 100 BTC in December 2017, and 249 BTC in March 2018. However, the specific 100.02 BTC from July 2010 remained unspent all this time.
“This address has been somewhat active in the past, but these specific coins have not moved since 2010. We track the coins,” Galaxy Research noted on X.
CoinDesk traced the payment back to two mining rewards from July 2010: one worth 50 BTC and the other 50.02 BTC, including fees. At that time, miners received 50 newly created coins for each block they added to the Bitcoin network.
The coins originate from the “Satoshi era,” when Bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator Satoshi Nakamoto was still active, but their age does not imply a direct connection to Nakamoto.
The transaction on Wednesday combined the old holdings with six minor subsequent deposits, directing 10 BTC to one address and approximately 90.02 BTC to another. Both amounts remained unspent as of CoinDesk's check on Thursday morning.
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