--- title: "A Cache of Ancient Bitcoin, Possibly Mined by Satoshi, Just Awakened" description: "$21 million worth of ancient Bitcoin was moved out of a wallet that has been dormant since 2012. Read if Satoshi Nakamoto was behind it." date: "2021-07-14" modified: "2021-07-21" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/ancient-bitcoin-awakened" categories: - "Bitcoin" - "Blockchain" - "Cryptocurrency" - "Future Society" tags: - "bitcoin" - "cryptocurrencies" - "satoshi nakamoto" - "the digest" --- # A Cache of Ancient Bitcoin, Possibly Mined by Satoshi, Just Awakened ![Over $21 million worth of Bitcoin were just moved out of a ten-year-old wallet that has been dormant since 2012. Was Satoshi Nakamoto behind it?]() *\Image: Image via Pxhere/Futurism\* ## Satoshi on the Move? Over $21 million worth of Bitcoin were just moved out of a dormant wallet — which, intriguingly, was opened shortly after the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto created the cryptocurrency over a decade ago. Blockchain trackers at Whale Alert noticed the dormant address [coming alive again](). The mysterious Bitcoin wallet spent some time mining crypto back in 2011 and 2012, but has been lying dormant ever since. https://twitter.com/whale_alert/status/1414718345467863043 At the time, a single Bitcoin was selling for just over $5. Now, each one is worth around $33,000 — a massive return on investment over a period of ten years. ## Ancient Bitcoin Trader publication [*FXStreet* suggested that]() the wallet, along with many other wallets opened around the same time, may actually belong to Nakamoto. The publication estimates Nakamoto's wealth at over 1.1 million Bitcoin, worth over $37 billion in total. Nakamoto was the pseudonym used by the anonymous creator of Bitcoin. But despite the currency's genesis dating back more than a decade, the true identity of the cryptic figure has yet to be revealed. Could this transaction be evidence that Nakamoto is on the move? We may never find out, thanks to the technology behind the cryptocurrency being conducive to relatively anonymity, especially for careful users. ## Big Transactions It's not every day that tens of millions of dollars worth of Bitcoin dating back this far back suddenly go on the move — but it's not the first time, either. Mysterious transactions involving "Satoshi era" Bitcoin were also observed back in [October]() and [November](). We still have no idea what or who is behind these transfers. Is a Bitcoin billionaire ready to retire? Is an early crypto adopter falling on hard times? In any case, there's a good chance we'll never actually find out for sure. **READ MORE:** [Is Satoshi cashing out? 640 nine-year-old Bitcoin on the move]() \[*FXStreet*\] **More on Bitcoin:** *[Elon Musk Slams Bitcoin’s Underlying Technology]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()