Is That You, Satoshi? — Dormant Bitcoin Address With 185 BTC Wakes Up After 11 Years

A Bitcoin wallet containing millions of dollars worth of Bitcoin has emerged from slumber. For one reason or another, the wallet has not conducted any transactions for years despite having what is easily deemed life-changing funds.

The wallet had not been used since 2013, just a couple of years after the enigmatic Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto disappeared. The wallet currently contains 185 BTC, and it’s unclear who owns this account or why it was reactivated on Tuesday.

The Bitcoin wallet containing 185 BTC suddenly sprang back to life after an 11-year hiatus.

Ancient Bitcoin Wallet From 2013 Awakens

According to X-based blockchain tracker bot Whale Alert, a Satoshi-era Bitcoin whale address that has been dormant since 2013 stirred on Sept. 10. The address has 185 BTC and is worth approximately $10,553,799.

“A dormant address containing 185 #BTC (10,553,799 USD) has just been activated after 11.0 years!” Whale Alert wrote, sparking a flurry of speculation and theories.

Satoshi-era BTC refers to the very early stages of the Bitcoin network when it was still relatively unknown. During this time, Satoshi Nakamoto was still very much active in online forums. Some crypto community members have proposed that the latest wallet activation could be Satoshi deciding to return.

However, other commentators have suggested that it was just a “diamond hands” holder looking to take profits after years of HODLing. Meanwhile, others believe someone has figured out how to hack these long-dormant wallets.

More Mysterious Wallet Movements

Early investors who invested a few hundred dollars and kept their holdings have now become Bitcoin whales, with values continuing to skyrocket. This year, several dormant Bitcoin wallets from 2011–2013 have been reactivated, each containing millions of dollars worth of Bitcoin. 

Just days ago, the owner of a dormant Bitcoin wallet emptied their account and transferred all $8 million worth of BTC to an external wallet address after over 10 years of dormancy.

Earlier this month, another Bitcoin address with 100 BTC was activated after 11.4 years, netting the holder handsome returns.

In August, another dormant wallet BTC whale account with 190 BTC (valued at around $11.5 million) suddenly awakened after 11 years. At the time of purchase in 2013, the BTC cache was worth an estimated $12,000, which signals a nearly 1,000-fold appreciation after more than a decade.