Satoshi-Era Whale Moves $4.6B in Bitcoin After 14 Years of Dormancy

     

The mysterious long-term holder sent over 40,000 BTC to Galaxy Digital, potentially signaling a massive sell-off

A Satoshi-era Bitcoin whale has reemerged after more than a decade of inactivity, transferring a staggering $4.6 billion worth of BTC in the past two days.

Blockchain data from Nansen shows the whale moved 40,010 BTC on Monday — a haul worth over $4.6 billion at the time — with 28,600 BTC sent to Galaxy Digital. On Tuesday, the whale transferred an additional 10,200 BTC to the same entity, further signaling that the long-time holder may be preparing to liquidate a significant portion of their holdings.

The whale originally acquired 80,000 BTC in 2011 when Bitcoin traded for less than $30. At current prices, that investment has yielded more than 2.4 million percent in unrealized gains, according to TradingView.

The transactions come just one day after Bitcoin surpassed Amazon in market capitalization, becoming the fifth-largest asset globally. Bitcoin hit an all-time high of $122,600 on Monday, adding to speculation that strategic long-term holders may be seizing the opportunity to realize profits.

Bitcoin investors say ‘Crypto Week’ has fueled recent rally

Despite the whale’s apparent move to sell, some market participants believe the bull run still has legs.

Iliya Kalchev, dispatch analyst at crypto platform Nexo, said the surge has been supported by “Crypto Week” in Washington — a critical time during which lawmakers are pushing forward three major bills aimed at providing regulatory clarity for the crypto industry.

“The rally is supported by strong ETF inflows, long-term holder demand, and rising expectations of a favorable policy shift in Washington,” Kalchev told.

Former President Donald Trump’s vocal support for the bills has added momentum to the rally, boosting hopes that legislation around stablecoin issuance, custody frameworks, and digital asset infrastructure will soon pass.

With Crypto Week underway, investors remain optimistic that regulatory clarity could drive further upside for Bitcoin — and potentially trigger more whale movements as profit-taking accelerates.