On May 6, 2025, two inactive Bitcoin 'whales' from 2014 transferred 3,422 BTC, worth approximately 324.2 million USD, marking one of the largest movements of long-term wallets. Is this a signal for a wave of sell-offs? Let's analyze in detail.
Bitcoin Whales Move Over 300 Million USD
On Tuesday morning, the wallet '1NWPS' inactive for 10.5 years transferred 2,343 BTC (222.2 million USD), and the wallet '1PiEK' inactive for 11.75 years transferred 1,079 BTC (102.5 million USD), according to Spot On Chain. Both wallets have been dormant since 2014 when Bitcoin was under 1,000 USD, and the current price of Bitcoin is 94,000 USD (according to CoinGecko). The identity of the wallet owners, the reasons for the transfers, and the connection between the two wallets remain unclear.
Whale Trend Rising
According to #CryptoQuant , Q1 2025 witnessed a 110% increase in the movement of long-term Bitcoin (over 7 years) compared to the same period in 2024, with 62,800 BTC transferred from January to March, compared to 28,000 BTC last year. Recently, at the end of March, an inactive wallet from 2016 transferred 3,000 BTC (250 million USD), according to Arkham Intelligence. At the end of last month, another whale moved 50 $BTC after 15 years, bought for under 0.10 USD, achieving a theoretical profit of over 93,000,000%.
Reasons for Whale Resurgence
Anonymous identities make it difficult to determine the reasons, but common causes include:
Taking advantage of high prices: Bitcoin (94,000 USD, preparing to reach 120,000 USD) is near its peak, prompting sell-offs to lock in profits.
Asset reallocation: Moving from cold wallets or re-managing portfolios.
Wallet recovery: Wallet owners retrieve lost or forgotten keys after a long time. This increase coincides with the surge of Bitcoin ETFs (attracting 1.8 billion USD last week) and positive sentiment from policy $TRUMP .
Impact on the Crypto Market
This event brings many signals:
Selling pressure: The movement of 3,422 BTC could increase supply (2.492 million BTC on exchanges), causing short-term volatility.
Increasing confidence: Active whales show confidence in Bitcoin's value, supporting the trend toward institutionalization (Strategy owns 555,450 BTC).
Driving the market: Crypto fund inflows reached 3.4 billion USD last week, potentially spreading to altcoins like Ethereum (1,800 USD, about to upgrade to Fusaka).
Future Prospects
With 62,800 long-term BTC moving in Q1 2025 and a forecast of accumulating 330 billion USD into Bitcoin by 2029 (Bernstein), whale activity may continue in the next 1-2 years, especially if prices exceed 100,000 USD as predicted by Nic Puckrin (The Coin Bureau).
Conclusion: How Will Whales Shape the Market?
Two Bitcoin whales from the Satoshi era transferred 3,422 BTC (324.2 million USD) after more than 10 years of dormancy, reflecting a 110% increase in long-term wallet activity in 2025. Although the reasons are unclear, this could be a sign of profit-taking or asset reallocation, in the context of a vibrant market. Investors should monitor closely to assess the impact on Bitcoin prices and the crypto market.
Risk warning: Crypto investment carries high risks due to price volatility and legal uncertainties. Please consider carefully before participating.