Bitcoin has been hovering between $87,600 and $91,100 for the past few days, when a large cluster of long-quiet wallets dating back to 2016-2017 suddenly sprung into action, sending it fluctuating $498. BTC Valued at $44.6 million. In another example, on-chain analyst Sani discovered 107 wallets that integrated 2,205 wallets. BTC Approximately $197.3 million worth of stash was located at approximately 24 addresses.
Legacy Bitcoin wallets reel as initial holders restructure funds and some end up on exchanges
It matters little that Bitcoin remains below six-digit levels as traditional wallets continue to be repositioned in the current market environment. On Thursday, Sani, founder of timechainindex.com, flagged a large cache of nine-year-old addresses and new addresses, consolidating a sizeable cache across 22 different addresses.
“A single organization consolidated 107 Bitcoin addresses that had been dormant for more than nine years, as well as additional short-term and long-term dormant addresses, for a total of 2,205.84948334.” BTC” Sani wrote to X. “The combined funds were redistributed to 22 addresses holding 100 addresses.” BTC each plus one address containing approximately 4.91 BTC The other one is about 0.94 BTC”
On the same day, Sani identified the movement of a total of 14.5 billion physical Bitcoins. BTC. “The coins all appear to belong to the same person as they were sent to the same address,” Sani wrote. “That address also received an additional 1 BTC It’s from a different address that has been inactive since October 2013. ”
Also read: A beginner’s guide to Bitcoin address evolution
Besides the on-chain detective’s findings, analysis data from btcparser.com shows that there were approximately 498.79448435 in the past three days (January 20th to January 23rd). BTC Migrated from wallets created in 2013, 2016, and 2017, activity was limited to a modest 9 in 2013. BTC Transfers from wallets first observed on May 3, 2013. The remainder of the batch (16 total spends) came from P2PKH (Pay-to-Public-Key-Hash) addresses created in 2016 or 2017.
Analyzed transfers of dormant expenditures from January 20 to January 23, 2026.
A notable transfer from a wallet created on July 1, 2017 involved 153.58376658. BTC These funds were distributed to wallets associated with Kraken. Data shows that Bitcoins that were mined or acquired years ago are still being reorganized, consolidated, and routed through modern infrastructure or sold on exchanges.
This pattern fits operational movements such as changing storage locations, preparing for exchanges, and managing balances. This supports the point that dormant Bitcoin can become inactive. Even when prices fluctuate and attention is focused on short-term market noise, they always move on their own schedule and reappear only when circumstances arise that justify each holder’s actions.
Frequently asked questions ❓
- Why is a dormant Bitcoin wallet now active?
Wallets that are inactive for long periods of time often move funds due to consolidation, relocation, or exchange transfers. No one knows the real motive except the owner. - How much Bitcoin moved from your old wallet in the past few days?
Approximately 498 BTC Wallets created between 2013 and 2017 were moved on-chain between January 20th and January 23rd. On-chain analyst Sani has many other wallets on his radar. - Did some of your Bitcoin move to an exchange?
Yes, some transfers were routed to wallets associated with Kraken. - Does dormant wallet activity affect Bitcoin price?
Such movements indicate holder action, but are not automatically reflected in immediate price changes.
