Long-Dormant Bitcoin Wallets Stirring as $40 Million Moves on Chain

Investors and traders are taking note of recent activity on the Bitcoin blockchain. According to Galaxy Research data, six dormant Bitcoin wallets created between 2011 and 2014 have become active again. These addresses transferred a total of 553.59 BTC between August 16 and 26, worth approximately $40 million at current prices.

One wallet in particular had been inactive for over 15 years, suggesting that some assets from Bitcoin's early days are starting to move on the chain. However, five out of six wallets sent their Bitcoins to addresses not linked to any known cryptocurrency exchanges, leaving it unclear whether these transfers were intended for sale.

The sixth wallet, which had been inactive since 2011, transferred 40 BTC to Boerse Stuttgart Digital, a Germany-based cryptocurrency custody and transaction services provider. While this may indicate that the Bitcoins were sold, it is also possible that they were transferred to a custody service or moved for another institutional purpose.

Galaxy Digital Research Head Alex Thorn pointed out that on-chain activity in long-inactive Bitcoin wallets has decreased significantly recently. According to Thorn, the activity of 'sleeping Bitcoin' has fallen to its lowest level since the third quarter of 2022, by the second quarter of 2026.