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Dormant Bitcoin Wallet from 2011 Reactivated with $442 Million in BTC

Dormant Bitcoin Wallet from 2011 Reactivated with $442 Million in BTC

An early Bitcoin miner wallet holding 4,000 BTC became active for the first time since 2011, transferring 150 BTC amid rising concerns over quantum computing threats to legacy addresses.

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Fact Check
The statement is strongly supported by multiple, independent, and relevant sources. Specifically, sources from Binance, Bitget, and ChainCatcher directly corroborate all key details of the claim: a Bitcoin wallet inactive since 2011 was reactivated with 4,000 BTC valued at approximately $442 million. While other high-authority sources like CoinDesk, The Block, and Yahoo Finance report on a much larger, multi-billion dollar movement from several 2011-era wallets, this does not contradict the claim but rather provides the broader context in which this specific event occurred. The specific transaction of $442 million was likely one part of this larger series of movements. The original data source for these events is cited as Whale Alert, a highly authoritative primary source for blockchain transactions. The consistency of the specific figures ($442 million from 4,000 BTC) across several news platforms lends high confidence to the assessment. The only irrelevant source was disregarded.
Summary

A miner wallet holding 4,000 BTC (approximately $442 million) moved 150 BTC ($16.6 million) after 14 years of dormancy, according to Lookonchain data. The wallet, identified as 18eY9o, was first funded in 2009 and consolidated in 2011. This activity aligns with a broader trend of early Bitcoin holders moving or selling coins after prices surpassed $100,000. Bitcoin OG Nicholas Gregory warned that older Bitcoin addresses using early public key formats could be susceptible to quantum computing attacks, prompting some holders to transfer funds to safer wallets. Earlier this year, another early whale sold 80,000 BTC through Galaxy Digital, signaling profit realization by long-term holders.

Terms & Concepts
  • Bitcoin OG: An early adopter or original participant in the Bitcoin ecosystem, often referring to individuals active before mainstream adoption.
  • Quantum Attack: A potential future cybersecurity threat where quantum computers could break cryptographic algorithms securing blockchain networks.
  • P2PK Address: An early Bitcoin address format (Pay-to-PubKey) that directly exposes public keys, potentially making it more vulnerable to quantum attacks.