$15M In Bitcoin Awakens From 10-Year Slumber As BTC Hits $116K

Bitcoin is back in the spotlight after reports confirmed that coins untouched since 2012 have been moved for the first time.

The reactivation of an old wallet came at a moment when the market is already buzzing with strong ETF inflows and record levels of stablecoin liquidity.

Wallet Reactivates After 13 Years

According to Onchain Lens, the address that first received coins on November 26, 2012, moved 132.03 BTC in a single transaction.

The transfer was worth about $15 million at current prices. The same wallet also sent five BTC to the Kraken exchange. After those moves, it still holds 308 BTC — a stash now valued at nearly $35 million.

In total, the address once controlled 444 BTC, which the report places at more than $50 million combined.

A dormant whale woke-up after 13 years, moved 132.03 $BTC ($15.06M) to a new address and depositing 5 $BTC into #Kraken.

The wallet still holds 307.79 $BTC ($35M). It has received these $BTC for just $5,437 at $12.22https://t.co/mhCNYQs7cA pic.twitter.com/L0ltIwu6Oe

— Onchain Lens (@OnchainLens) September 11, 2025

Early Holder Made A Tiny Bet That Paid Off

Based on reports, the coins were originally bought when Bitcoin traded at about $12.22 per coin. The wallet’s total purchase cost was only $5,435.

That original outlay has turned into massive gains. The current math shows a profit in the ballpark of $15.60 million on that small initial buy. Simple numbers like that help explain why stories about old wallets get attention.

Bitcoin has pulled back above the $116,000 mark. Data from Coingecko show BTC trading at $116,083, a daily move of 0.25% and up 3% over the past week.

The market still remembers August 14, 2025, when BTC hit an all-time high of $124,450. Those price swings are part of the backdrop for why a whale moving coins draws extra interest now.

Data shows that Bitcoin spot ETFs recorded $757 million in inflows on Wednesday. That is the largest single-day number since July 17 and extends a three-day streak of positive flows.

The steady inflows suggest bigger players are adding exposure, or at least reallocating capital into the market.

Meanwhile, reports from CryptoQuant indicate Binance saw its largest net stablecoin inflow of the year on Monday, a little over $6 billion.

Binance’s stablecoin reserves are reported to be near $40 billion, while aggregate stablecoin holdings across exchanges hit about $70 billion last week.

The sudden movement of coins untouched for more than a decade has added a new layer of intrigue to Bitcoin’s latest rally.

With the asset holding above $116,000, ETFs drawing hundreds of millions in inflows, and record stablecoin balances sitting on exchanges, the market is flush with liquidity and attention.

Whether this wallet activity signals profit-taking, repositioning, or something else entirely, it highlights the enduring power of early bets on Bitcoin and the continued influence of long-term holders on today’s market.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView