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Old Bitcoin Wallet Moves $3.2 Million After 15 Years

The coins came from a wallet funded in July 2011 and were sent to a SegWit address with prior FalconX-linked transactions. There is still no sign on the blockchain that the old stash has been sold.

By Zenz van der Wielen
• 2 min read
Old Bitcoin Wallet Moves $3.2 Million After 15 Years

Key Takeaways

  • A Bitcoin wallet from 2011 moved nearly 50 BTC on Thursday, worth about $3.2 million.
  • The coins went to a SegWit address with earlier transactions tied to FalconX-related addresses.
  • There is still no proof on the blockchain that the old bitcoins were actually sold.

A Bitcoin wallet that had been dormant since 2011 moved nearly 50 BTC on Thursday, a stash worth about $3.2 million (€2.8 million). The funds were sent to an address with a transaction history linked to institutional crypto brokerage FalconX, but there is still no on-chain evidence that the coins were actually sold on the blockchain.

Wallet From 2011 Comes Back to Life

According to Galaxy Research, the wallet first received the coins on July 16, 2011, when Bitcoin was trading at around $10 (€8.66). The 49.97 BTC sat untouched after that, surviving multiple bull and bear markets, exchange collapses, and sharp price swings along the way.

The transaction was confirmed in block 961331 on August 6 at 20:14 UTC. It pulled together four inputs from the old wallet and two smaller inputs from other addresses. In all, 50 BTC were sent to a SegWit address, while a second output returned about 0.00116 BTC in change after fees.

SegWit is a newer Bitcoin address format that makes transactions more efficient and usually cheaper to send. Addresses that start with bc1 use this format.

Address Points to FalconX History

The destination address is not a fresh one. Arkham data show it has been active for years and previously sent 6.336 BTC and 16.131 BTC to addresses the platform tags as FalconX deposits. It also received funds from wallets Arkham identifies as a Nexo hot wallet and Prime Trust custody.

As of Friday morning, the newly arrived 50 BTC were still sitting at that address. So far, there is no on-chain sign that the dormant coins have been moved on to FalconX, another exchange, or a buyer.

Why This Stands Out for Investors

Transfers from old Bitcoin wallets tend to draw attention because those coins were acquired when Bitcoin cost only a tiny fraction of today’s price. A move like this can mean a wallet upgrade, a custody change, or preparation for a sale, and the blockchain usually does not make the reason clear right away.

The timing also comes as wallet security is getting more attention. Coinkite, the maker of the Coldcard hardware wallet, warned users this week to move funds after a firmware bug that could expose keys from affected devices. There is no link between that issue and the 2011 wallet, but the warning is pushing some long-term holders to revisit old storage, which could bring more aged Bitcoin back into view on the blockchain.

Meanwhile, the broader market is still mostly focused on Bitcoin itself. In a separate analysis, questions were raised about whether the coin still has a clear edge over stocks, as its relationship with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq comes under pressure.

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