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A batch of 100.02 Bitcoin mined in July 2010 moved on October 7, 2026, the first time those coins had shifted in 16 years. At roughly $83,000 per coin, the stash was worth about $8.3 million when it left, according to Decrypt.
The transaction was confirmed at 18:52 UTC in block 970,379 and split the coins between two new addresses: 10 BTC to one and 90.02 BTC to the other. The holder paid a fee of 1,467 satoshis, about $1.22, to move the $8.3 million. News.bitcoin also reported the move, citing Galaxy Research, and said its own tools independently verified that the coins originated from coinbase rewards mined in July 2010.
Also read: White Hats Move 52.37 Bitcoin to Coldcard Recovery Trust
Key facts
- The two mining payouts behind the coins were 50.02 BTC in block 70,522 on July 26, 2010 and 50 BTC in block 70,748 on July 28, 2010, merged into a single transaction on July 30, 2010.
- Both destinations are modern bc1q addresses, a format that did not exist when the coins were mined; both pieces were unspent as of Thursday.
- Based on Bitbo’s highest registered price of BTC in 2010, the stash was worth around $29 when it was mined.
- Galaxy Research said the holder realized a gain of 108.69 million percent by holding the coins untouched since 2010, per News.bitcoin.
- The address itself has been active before, sending out 100 BTC twice on August 8, 2015, 100 BTC in December 2017 and 249 BTC in March 2018, according to Decrypt.
Why Galaxy’s ‘untouched’ label drew pushback
The claim that the coins were dormant drew objections on Galaxy Research’s X thread. “Uhm. Not really untouched is it?” one person replied, News.bitcoin reported, noting that the wallet had been used on several occasions and had shifted around 894 BTC in the past.
Galaxy held its position, saying it maintains a complete ledger of every UTXO and all their historical movements, about 1.7 terabytes, and that the address has been somewhat active while these specific coins had not moved since 2010.
Also read: Bitcoin enters 'initial phase' of new bull market, but $83K remains key: CryptoQuant
Galaxy also wrote that the coins were stored in an old P2PK address and were later moved into two P2WPKH wallets holding 90 BTC and 10 BTC, News.bitcoin reported; those new wallets are not flagged by any block explorer and remain unknown with no counterparties.
The two outlets agree on the core figures but diverge on the mining date. Decrypt places the underlying payouts in late July 2010 and describes 100.02 BTC in total. News.bitcoin says the coins were mined on July 13, 2010, and refers to a batch of 100 BTC. Both cite a 16-year dormancy, with News.bitcoin specifying 16 years, 2 months and 24 days.
Why it matters
Coins from Bitcoin’s earliest years, known as Satoshi-era coins, have moved in clusters. A 50 BTC batch moved in February 2025 after about 15 years, worth roughly $5 million by then. In August 2026, 49.97 BTC first received in July 2011 moved after about 15 years to a wallet Arkham labeled as FalconX, a prime broker — a label that alone does not confirm a sale.
This week’s move is smaller in count but louder in value. It also lands during a stretch of dormancy break: six wallets idle since 2011, 2012 or 2014 shifted 553.59 BTC, about $40 million, between August 16 and 26, and two carried tags tied to a New York lawsuit asking a court to declare 39,069 dormant addresses abandoned property.
For holders, the practical point is that moving coins between addresses is not the same as selling them. Both new addresses still held their coins as of Thursday, with nothing sent onward.
What to watch
Whether the 10 BTC and 90.02 BTC leave their new addresses — a transfer to an exchange or a known custodian is the signal that a sale may follow. The New York lawsuit over 39,069 dormant addresses is the other thread to track, given the dormant-wallet tags tied to it.
This is not financial advice. Bitcoin’s price and the treatment of dormant coins remain uncertain and can change quickly.
Reported by decrypt.co.
Sources: Decrypt, News.bitcoin