600 Bitcoin mined in 2010 transferred after 16 years

On September 5, 2026, twelve Bitcoin addresses that had remained inactive since March 2010 transferred a combined 600 BTC, worth roughly $48 million at current prices. The movement was identified by Whale Alert, a blockchain transaction‑tracking service.

Details of the transferred rewards

Each of the twelve rewards originated from a separate block mined in March 2010, when the block subsidy was 50 BTC. The addresses collectively held the full 600 BTC (12 × 50 BTC) before the transfers.

Timeline

• March 2010 – Blocks were mined, each granting a 50 BTC reward.
• September 5, 2026 – All twelve rewards were moved to new addresses.

Investigation findings

Whale Alert traced each reward to its original block and confirmed that none of the blocks can be linked to Satoshi Nakamoto based on their research. The platform also noted that one of the rewards moved a few blocks earlier than the others, a pattern they described as consistent with a test transaction.

Context

The coins date to a period when Nakamoto was still active in Bitcoin development and communications, which sparked speculation about a possible connection. However, both Whale Alert and on‑chain analytics firm Lookonchain reported no evidence tying the addresses or blocks to Nakamoto.

Implications

The transfer highlights the continued activity of early‑era Bitcoin holdings and underscores the importance of on‑chain analysis for tracing the provenance of dormant coins.