"Midnight Satoshi Era Whale" Awakens After 14 Years: 150 BTC Activated, Will It Trigger Market Turbulence?

On-chain data recently revealed a significant piece of information: it is believed that an ancient address mined by Satoshi Nakamoto’s team in 2009 was suddenly activated after 14 years of silence. This “ancient wallet” transferred 150 Bitcoins, marking the first transaction record from this address since June 2011, sparking high market attention and speculation.

On-chain Data Reveals Ancient Address Suddenly Active

According to on-chain analytics firm Glassnode, only a few ancient wallets dating before 2011 transfer funds each year. The 150 Bitcoins transferred this time were worth about $67,700 when moved in 2011, but after 15 years of market evolution, they are now valued at $16 million. Data shows that this wallet previously consolidated mined Bitcoins into a single address in 2011, and only this week did it appear again with a transaction record.

Since the creation date of these Bitcoins coincides with the period when Satoshi Nakamoto was still active on Bitcoin forums, whenever an “Satoshi-era address” awakens, it tends to trigger discussions and speculation in the crypto market.

Market Sentiment Is Fragile, Psychological Impact Outweighs Actual Effect

The timing of this movement is quite sensitive. Currently, Bitcoin fluctuates around $90K, and the market is just beginning to recover from a sharp decline earlier this month. Historical data shows that Bitcoin once plummeted from a high of $126.08K, triggering the largest liquidation wave in crypto history, with leverage positions totaling up to $19 billion being wiped out. In such a “extremely fragile market sentiment” environment, any hint of potential selling pressure can be amplified infinitely.

However, from a rational perspective, 150 BTC is negligible compared to Bitcoin’s daily trading volume exceeding $20 billion. Therefore, the actual impact of this event is very limited, and most of the anxiety is a “psychological” reaction. Historical experience indicates that the movement of “ancient wallets” often causes short-term market unease. Traders usually interpret it as a sign that “early holders are preparing to sell,” but the actual outcome often defies expectations.

Reasonable Speculations on Why Large Holders Are Acting Now

The market has proposed several plausible explanations for why Satoshi-era whales are initiating transfers at this moment:

Security Upgrade - Bitcoin holders might be migrating assets to more secure storage solutions, such as cold wallets or multi-signature wallets.

Asset Planning - This could be part of estate inheritance procedures or reorganization of assets.

Function Testing - Simply testing whether transfer functions are working properly, verifying wallet operability.

Experts point out that unless subsequent transactions show these funds flowing into exchange deposit addresses, it is difficult to determine whether the holder has already sold. This is a key distinction between “asset movement” and “intent to sell.”

Historical Precedent: Awakening of Ancient Wallets Often Just a False Alarm

Reviewing historical records provides valuable reference. Similar Satoshi-era ancient wallet activation events occurred in 2021 and 2023, but these events ultimately did not lead to a price decline. Post-investigation confirmed that in most cases, it was merely personal asset reorganization by holders, with no large-scale selling intent.

Based on past experience, the market should approach this event rationally. Although the awakening of ancient wallets can easily trigger panic on a psychological level, in reality, most cases involve routine security upgrades or asset reorganization by holders, rather than signaling an imminent market sell-off. Investors should not overreact to this address activation from Satoshi’s era; instead, they should continue to monitor whether the funds are truly flowing into exchanges, which is a key indicator of actual risk.