A dormant Bitcoin wallet from the “Satoshi era” has reawakened after 14.3 years, transferring 10,000 BTC, now valued at $1.09 billion, just as Bitcoin edges toward a new all-time high.
According to Spot On Chain, the wallet’s original balance was acquired on April 3, 2011, for just $109,246, at an average of $0.78 per BTC, representing a jaw-dropping return of over 140,000x on the initial investment.
The move comes as Bitcoin trades at $109,100, less than 3% shy of its previous record of $111,960, fueling speculation the whale may be positioning for profit-taking near the peak.
Large wallet movements often precede sell-offs, as holders shift coins from cold storage to exchanges or hot wallets during bull cycles, although the whale’s exact intentions remain unclear.
Adding to the uncertainty, on-chain analytics from Sentora reveal a broader trend. Whales holding over 1,000 BTC have been quietly reducing their balances in recent weeks.
While such whale distribution can heighten short-term volatility, Sentora analysts argue this reflects a more mature market structure, with older coins being gradually dispersed.
Currently, the total BTC held by long-term investors, i.e, those holding for over 155 days, has reached an all-time high of 14.7 million coins, reinforcing the trend of strong conviction.
Notably, most BTC bought near the $100,000 threshold have remained untouched, signaling reduced speculative behavior and increasing confidence in Bitcoin’s long-term trajectory.
Institutional interest has surged alongside whale redistribution, with multiple companies unveiling plans to expand or initiate Bitcoin treasuries in the past week alone.
This wave of corporate accumulation reinforces Bitcoin’s growing reputation as a strategic reserve asset, particularly as it approaches “price discovery” levels.
Standard Chartered and Bernstein predict that BTC will hit $200,000 by the end of 2025, while BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes targets $250,000.
However, short-term volatility looms, as $3 billion worth of Bitcoin options are set to expire on July 4, with a max pain point at $106,000, potentially triggering a brief retracement.
As Bitcoin’s liquidity deepens and its ecosystem matures, this convergence of legacy whale movements, institutional adoption, and bullish price action positions the asset for a potentially transformative second half of 2025.
Despite the recent high-profile transfer, on-chain behavior and market signals suggest that Bitcoin’s investor base is evolving, from speculative traders to long-term, conviction-driven holders.
Bitcoin, BTC price, Bitcoin whale, institutional Bitcoin investment, Satoshi-era wallet, Bitcoin forecast 2025, Bitcoin all-time high, long-term BTC holders, crypto market trends, Bitcoin options expiry, BTC treasury strategy, Glassnode, Spot On Chain, Sentora analytics, crypto news July 2025.
