A bitcoin address that had not moved for more than 15 years has become active again.

On Aug. 17 (local time), blockchain outlet U.Today reported the address moved 8.54 BTC in block 962770.

Galaxy Research data showed the address held 8.54 BTC, worth about $538,000 at current prices. The bitcoin had not moved for more than 15 years since it was first deposited on June 13, 2011. The estimated realized profit from this transaction is about $538,000, implying a return of 461,981 percent.

The timing of the address’s creation also drew attention. The likelihood of a direct link to bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto is very low, but the market has taken interest because it was created just a few months after Satoshi’s last post on social media.

When long-dormant bitcoin moves, the market often focuses on the possibility that early investors are taking profits. That is because bitcoin acquired at low prices has risen sharply in value, and transfers to exchanges can be interpreted as potential selling supply.

Still, the fact that bitcoin moved on-chain alone makes it difficult to conclude whether it was actually sold. Transactions can occur for various reasons, including transfers between personal wallets, changes in custody methods and address consolidation, so it is necessary to further examine whether the funds move to an exchange.

Moves from long-dormant wallets have also continued over the past month. On Aug. 12, a pre-mined ethereum address that had been dormant for 11 years was activated and 2,680 ETH was moved. Its estimated value at the time was about $5.05 million. Three days earlier, on Aug. 9, another pre-mined ethereum address moved for the first time in about 11 years. The address held 2,000 ETH, valued at about $3.84 million at the time.

A series of transfers of long-dormant assets is drawing attention as it suggests early cryptocurrency investors are beginning to move their holdings again. Still, it is uncertain whether such activity will lead to actual large-scale selling, so the market is watching whether the tokens flow into exchanges and where they move next.

This case is drawing attention because early bitcoin that had not moved for a long period was spotted on-chain again. As long-dormant address movements in ethereum and bitcoin continue, there is also a growing need to distinguish and interpret the background rather than focusing only on the size of the transfers.

AWAKENED — dormant 15+ years 8.54 BTC ($538K) untouched since first received 2011-06-13 (15.1y ago) — just moved in block 962770 Address: 1EmiMJfyBYNYfeFZWEoXxJ9cZ7pF9xTWVt Realized PnL: +$538K (+461,981% gain) - basis ~$14 avg - held 15.1y 2026-08-16 18:42 UTC TXID:…