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As bitcoin’s value teeters on the brink of setting new price records, a significant batch of vintage bitcoins dating back from 2010 to 2017 has been transferred for the first time since their initial creation. Present data reveals that in the opening week of March 2024, a total of 4,237.73 ancient bitcoins, valued at over $283 million, were spent for the first time after all these years.
March 2024 Marks the Revival of ‘Sleeping Bitcoins’ With $283 Million Transacted
On Tuesday, Bitcoin.com News reported on a significant transaction involving a mega whale who transferred 1,000 BTC from 20 distinct 2010 wallets as the digital currency hit its peak price of $69,210 per unit. Throughout March, bitcoin’s price has consistently remained above the $60,000 mark, and at the month’s outset, this same entity moved 2,000 BTC, originating from block rewards in 2010. Nowadays, it’s quite uncommon to see transfers from 2010, making the 3,000 BTC moved by this whale the largest expenditure from that year throughout all of 2024.
This particular whale wasn’t the lone instance of so-called ‘sleeping bitcoins’ changing hands this month. To date, an additional 1,237.73 BTC has been moved from wallets dating between 2011 and 2017. These wallets had not seen any activity since their inception, springing to life as BTC maintained its stance above the $60,000 level. Specifically, 150.06 BTC from 2011 block rewards were activated in March, with two such transactions occurring today, March 6, 2024. Another transaction from 2011 coincided with the same day the mega whale moved 1,000 coins.
Btcparser.com shows that no transactions from 2012 have been noted this month thus far, yet bitcoins dormant since 2013, totaling 588.05 BTC, have been mobilized. A mere 50 BTC from 2014 has been transacted, alongside 150 BTC from 2015 wallets emerging into the open this month, while a scant 12.66 BTC from 2016 made an appearance.
Simultaneously, 286.95 BTC from 2017 wallets were transacted for the first time since their inception. It’s important to clarify that the use of the term “spent” in this article, does not imply these coins were necessarily sold or traded on the market. It simply indicates that the original wallet has transacted these coins for the first time since creation, with the assets now residing in entirely different wallets.
The motivation behind these movements could be varied, with some of the original holders possibly liquidating their assets to capture some gains, while others might be transferring them to consolidate holdings or migrate to more secure or modern wallets. Yet, the activity of these long-dormant bitcoins stirs curiosity within the community about the timing of these decisions. With a total of 4,237.73 BTC moving, March is shaping up to be a notably distinct month for the revival of so-called ‘sleeping bitcoins.’
What do you think about the number of so-called ‘sleeping bitcoins’ spent in March so far? Share your thoughts and opinions about this subject in the comments section below.