Summary
- A Bitcoin wallet containing 49.97 BTC, which was received on July 16, 2011, conducted a transaction on Wednesday, recorded at block 961331.
- This Bitcoin is currently valued at approximately $3.2 million, reflecting an astonishing 634,347% increase from its original acquisition cost, which averaged around $10.
- The wallet that received the BTC has previously transferred funds to a wallet associated with FalconX, a crypto prime broker, raising questions about the future intentions of the old coins.
A significant Bitcoin wallet that had remained inactive for over 14 years has recently been reactivated.
On August 6, 2026, an old Bitcoin address, starting with "1EBz," which had not seen any transactions since its initial receipt of Bitcoin on July 16, 2011, suddenly made a transfer. According to monitoring by Galaxy Research, this wallet first acquired Bitcoin when prices were below $15, and it remained untouched until the transaction occurred at 20:14 UTC.
Initially, the 49.97 BTC cost around $500 to acquire in mid-2011, but with the current price near $65,000, the total value has surged to approximately $3.23 million, marking a remarkable 634,347% gain. Such returns are typical of Bitcoin's early years when it was still a nascent asset, unlike today's $1.3 trillion market where few investors held onto their coins or their access keys for so long.
Following this transaction, the funds were sent to a wallet associated with FalconX, a prime broker catering to trading firms and institutions, as reported by Arkham Intelligence. While this does not confirm a sale, it does suggest that the owner of these coins may be consolidating them or preparing to move them to a platform where they could potentially be sold or used as collateral.
🌚 Awakened — dormant 14+ years
49.97 BTC ($3.23M) untouched since first received 2011-07-16 (15.0y ago) — just moved in block 961331Address: 1EBzWeno4frVz5hKp3LvVRpN84cpfJzYjL
No attribution💰 Realized PnL: +$3.23M (+634,347% gain) - basis ~$10 avg - held 15.0y
🕐 2026-08-06…— Galaxy Research (@glxyresearch) August 6, 2026
This isn't an isolated incident. The phenomenon of old Bitcoin addresses becoming active again is quite common and often attracts considerable attention.
Earlier this year, a Bitcoin whale that had been dormant for 12 years moved $11 million, and another ancient wallet transferred its holdings after 12 years of inactivity. In 2024, nearly 50,000 BTC worth around $2 billion shifted after remaining untouched since 2013, which analysts attributed to rebalancing by an exchange or custodian rather than a fortunate early investor. Throughout 2025, numerous Bitcoin whales also reactivated their holdings, resulting in the movement of billions.
In most instances, these transactions have directed funds to professional trading infrastructures rather than indicating that private holders are cashing out.
Observers often utilize a metric called "Coin Days Destroyed" or "Satoshi Days" to analyze these movements. Each day that a coin remains unmoved adds to its age, and when it finally transacts, those accumulated days are erased simultaneously. For instance, a transfer from a 2011 wallet can eliminate over 5,400 days of aging, signaling a significant change in ownership.
While such a large transaction can suggest that an early investor is taking profits, it may also simply indicate a relocation of assets for improved security or custody. The data confirms that a transfer has occurred but does not clarify the motivation behind it, leading some traders to speculate about potential price impacts if the holder decides to realize their gains.
As of Friday, the Bitcoin remains in the receiving wallet.