Dormant Bitcoin Whale Awakens, Moves $1.26 Billion in BTC

A long-dormant Bitcoin whale has suddenly “awakened,” transferring a total of 10,603 BTC — worth approximately $1.26 billion — in a single night from three wallet addresses believed to be owned by the same entity.

According to data from Arkham Intelligence, all three wallets originally received Bitcoin on December 13, 2020, when BTC was trading at around $18,000. Two of the wallets had remained completely inactive for nearly four years, while the third had only moved 7 BTC three years ago. However, late Tuesday night, all three wallets transferred their entire holdings to unidentified addresses — a strong indication that they are controlled by one single whale.

This unexpected move comes shortly after another “Satoshi-era” whale transferred over 80,000 BTC (worth roughly $9.5 billion) earlier this month after 14 years of dormancy.

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading around $119,100, after briefly surpassing the $123,000 mark — a rally fueled by whale activity and ongoing market momentum.

Institutional Capital Fuels Bitcoin’s Upward Momentum

Bitcoin’s recent breakout above $119,000 is not just a technical milestone — it reflects a growing wave of institutional acceptance. The launch of spot Bitcoin ETFs has opened the door for asset managers and corporations to gain regulated exposure to BTC without directly holding the asset. This new influx of capital has both validated Bitcoin’s legitimacy and introduced a level of market stability that was previously lacking.

In addition, macroeconomic factors such as rising inflation and currency devaluation are driving investors to seek protection through scarce assets like Bitcoin, reinforcing its role as a hedge and a digital store of value.