• A Bitcoin whale that has been dormant for 10.2 years recently moved 1,432 BTC worth $37.8 million.
• The wallet has appreciated by 13,435% since April 2013 when the price was $195.4 per BTC.
• The address could possibly belong to Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin who has been inactive since 2010.
Bitcoin Whale Awakens After a Decade
A Bitcoin (BTC) whale that has remained dormant for slightly over a decade is suddenly coming alive, according to on-chain data. Blockchain tracker Lookonchain says that a long-dormant address has moved 1,432 Bitcoin after lying low since April 2013.
Wallet Appreciation of 13,435%
The whale received 1,432.92 BTC on April 9th, 2013 when the price was $195.4 and with current trading at around $26,447 at time of writing; the hitherto dormant BTC has appreciated by 13,435% over the ten-year period. During this time small amounts of Bitcoin were sent to the address which might be an indication of possible dusting attacks from malicious actors or good actors such as academic researchers and law enforcement agents investigating non-malicious reasons.
Linked To Satoshi Nakamoto?
Long-dormant wallets attract attention and interest due to speculation that they could belong or be linked to Satoshi Nakamoto – the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin whose online trail went cold in December of 2010 – or contain his vast fortune thought to be over one million Bitcoin according to blockchain researcher Sergio Lerner.
What Is A Dusting Attack?
Dusting attacks are attempts made by malicious actors intending to identify the owner of an address in order to carry out phishing attacks, extortion and other cyber crimes against them while good actors can also use it for non-malicious reasons such as research or investigations by law enforcement authorities.
Conclusion
It is unclear why this particular wallet suddenly became active after staying dormant for more than a decade but its emergence will surely add fuel to ongoing speculation about its possible ownership and links to Satoshi Nakamoto’s billion dollar fortune in cryptocurrency holdings