During the initial 12 days of 2025, approximately 756.204 dormant bitcoins (BTC), valued at $71.8 million, have reentered circulation after years of inactivity. This revival occurs as bitcoin is trading 12% below its peak of $108,364, achieved 26 days prior on Dec. 17, 2024.
$71M Worth of Sleeping Bitcoin Resurfaces
This month has so far witnessed the awakening of 756.204 BTC from wallets established between 2011 and 2017, marking their first activity since their inception. Btcparser.com shows around 30 unique Pay to Public Key Hash (P2PKH) addresses moved this 756.204 BTC, which holds an estimated value of $71.8 million at current exchange rates. No wallets from 2009 or 2010 have transacted so far this January, but two wallets originating from 2011 transferred 35 BTC, while three wallets tied to 2012 addresses moved approximately 69 BTC.
Of the 756.204 bitcoin that came to life, 199.99 BTC stemmed from two wallet transactions originating in 2017, both carried out today, Jan. 12, 2025. Evidence suggests that the same individual likely controlled both wallets. The first transaction involved a wallet created on Mar. 23, 2017, which moved 100 BTC at block height 878,920. Shortly after, at block height 878,921, 99.99 BTC was transferred from another wallet established on the same date. The transactions exhibited limited privacy due to identifiable matched addresses and the round number involved in the first spend.
This year alone, as reported by btcparser.com, a total of 421.793 BTC has been spent from dormant 2017 addresses. The second-highest volume of BTC awakened originated from 2015 Pay to Public Key Hash (P2PKH) wallets, with four transactions moving 92.46 BTC. Additionally, three wallets from 2013 accounted for 16.001 BTC, four wallets from 2014 transferred 79.98 BTC, and three addresses from 2016 moved 41.97 BTC, all during this month.
The reactivation of dormant bitcoin wallets reveals an intriguing pattern of long-held assets reentering circulation, offering insights into the shifting behavior of early adopters and long-term holders. These movements, while relatively rare, suggest a deliberate strategy, possibly tied to market conditions or personal milestones, highlighting the nuanced relationship between historical bitcoin ownership and contemporary blockchain activity.
