Key facts
- Whale Alert flagged the first 50 BTC transfer at 4:08 a.m. UTC on November 13, 2026.
- The coins came from mining rewards generated in September 2010, not exchange purchases.
- Each transfer cost 1,110 satoshis in network fees, about $0.75.
- The first transaction split 50 BTC into nearly 49.99 BTC and about 0.01 BTC.
- As of an on-chain check near 14:00 UTC on November 13, the 100 BTC had not moved again and no sale was identified.
Two Bitcoin addresses that had been dormant since 2010 moved 50 BTC each on November 13, 2026, bringing two early mining rewards back into circulation after more than 16 years. Blockchain tracking service Whale Alert flagged the first transfer at 4:08 a.m. UTC, when 50 BTC worth approximately $3.44 million moved from an address that had not spent its original mining reward since September 2010. Just over two minutes later, another 50 BTC moved from a separate wallet with an equally long history.
Both transfers involved Bitcoin originally generated through mining, rather than coins purchased on an exchange. Their combined value at transaction prices of around $68,800 per Bitcoin was approximately $6,885,068. The coins came from two blocks mined on September 8 and September 19, 2010, when Bitcoin traded for roughly six cents, meaning each 50 BTC reward was worth about $3.
The combined value had increased approximately 1,147,511 times, equivalent to a 114,751,033% increase, according to the report. That percentage measures the appreciation in Bitcoin's market price, not money the holder has realized by selling. It is unknown whether the transfers were peer-to-peer transactions, over-the-counter sales or wallet switches for security reasons. The $3 valuation is also an estimate, as Bitcoin barely had a functioning market in September 2010, with historical prices showing a trading range of around five to seven cents.
The transfers are part of a broader trend of old Bitcoin wallets waking up in 2026. According to Galaxy Research data highlighted in August, Bitcoin that had remained untouched for at least a decade was moving at a pace rarely seen in previous years. In one 10-day stretch, six wallets dating back to 2011, 2012 and 2014 transferred a combined 553.59 BTC, worth more than $40 million at the time. Some of those movements have been linked to security concerns, wallet upgrades or transfers to professional custodians rather than outright selling.