A dormant Bitcoin whale from the Satoshi era transferred 80,201 BTC worth approximately $9.5 billion in two separate transactions, according to blockchain analytics firms Onchain Lens and Lookonchain. The whale first moved 40,009 BTC ($4.69 billion) to institutional asset manager Galaxy Digital on July 15, 2025. Subsequently, 40,192 BTC ($4.77 billion) was transferred to a new wallet on July 17.
Galaxy Digital redirected 6,000 BTC to cryptocurrency exchanges Binance and Bybit shortly after receiving the initial transfer, fueling speculation of an impending sale. Blockchain data reveals the whale had been inactive for 14 years since originally acquiring the BTC in 2011 at prices between $0.78 and $3.37 per coin. The transactions occurred as Bitcoin traded at $118,438, having recently experienced a rapid price correction attributed to these movements.
Analysts note this marks one of the largest dormant whale activations in Bitcoin history, with the wallet cluster receiving 20,000 BTC on April 2, 2011 and 60,009 BTC on May 4, 2011. The whale's activity contrasts with other major holders like Satoshi Nakamoto (1.096 million BTC), the Winklevoss twins (~70,000 BTC), and Michael Saylor (~17,732 BTC) who maintain inactive positions.