Update July 17, 5:30 am UTC: This article has been updated to include more detail on the whales movements.
A giant Satoshi-era Bitcoin whale earlier reported to hold over 80,000 Bitcoin, has just shifted the second half of its stack to a new wallet, days after sending billions worth to Galaxy Digital.
Blockchain analytics service Lookonchain said in an X post on Thursday that the whale moved 40,192 Bitcoin (BTC) — worth $4.77 billion at current prices — to a new wallet and “may continue to sell.”
The whale previously moved 40,009 BTC across multiple transfers to asset manager Galaxy Digital on Tuesday, data from blockchain intelligence platform Nansen shows, and the firm sent 6,000 BTC straight to crypto exchanges Binance and Bybit.
Bitcoin crossed just over $122,000 on Monday, reaching a new all-time high, and CryptoQuant analyst Crazzyblockk suggested in an analysis that the eventual price retreat may have been sparked by whales taking profit.
Satoshi whale awakened after 14 years
Lookonchain first noticed the whale on July 4, when it started shifting holdings around for the first time in 14 years.
The whale had eight wallets, the first two of which received 20,000 in Bitcoin on April 2, 2011, at the time when Bitcoin was worth $0.78. It was also around the time Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto sent his last known communication ever.
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Another six wallets belonging to the whale has been holding 60,009 Bitcoin since May 4, 2011, when Bitcoin was trading for $3.37.
Smaller whale on the move as well
A smaller whale also woke up this week after six years, according to Lookonchain, emptying its entire wallet.
The mini whale transferred out 1,042 Bitcoin worth $123 million to a new wallet, where the tokens are still being held, Nansen data shows.
Lookonchain said the wallet originally received the Bitcoin from Braiins Mining and Xapo Bank six years ago, when the price of each token was $8,746, and the entire stash would have been worth $9.12 million.
Other Bitcoin whales are still HODLing
Nakamoto is the largest holder of Bitcoin, with 1.096 million across thousands of wallets. The unknown entity has never moved or sold their holdings.
The Winklevoss twins, the founders of crypto exchange Gemini, are estimated to hold about 70,000. Tim Draper, a venture capitalist and early Bitcoin backer, has around 30,000, which he bought at a 2014 US Marshals auction.
Strategy co-founder Michael Saylor also has a private stash of around 17,732 Bitcoin.
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