On Friday, more than $8 billion worth of bitcoin, known as the ‘Satoshi era’ coins, was transferred in what marks the largest transaction of its kind on record.

Key Details:

• $8 billion in BTC (more than 80,000 BTC) was moved in the unprecedented transfer.
• Two long-dormant wallets, which had not been active since 2011, each shifted 10,000 BTC to new addresses.
• The identity of the wallet owners remains a mystery, but the bitcoins have recently been modernized to a newer address format.

This bitcoin transfer involved coins that are among the rarest in circulation, reflecting a period from the inception of bitcoin in 2009 until 2011, when its enigmatic creator was still involved in the online community.

Highlights of the Transfer:

• Each of the two wallets had remained inactive since they first received their coins on April 3, 2011, when bitcoin was valued at just 78 cents.
• These wallets now hold bitcoin worth approximately $1.1 billion each, highlighting a staggering appreciation of more than 13.9 million percent.

Late on Friday, blockchain analytics firm Arkham noted that there were also six additional wallets that moved over 10,000 BTC in rapid succession, amounting to more than $8.6 billion at prevailing rates. It remains unclear who owns these wallets, though Arkham suspects they may belong to a single entity.

Quote from Arkham: “A single entity moved $8.6 billion of BTC from 8 addresses in the past day… Currently, the Bitcoin is sitting in 8 new addresses and has not been…”

The transferred coins were sent using an updated, lower-fee wallet format, but their future remains uncertain as the owners have yet to engage in further transactions. Wallets from the Satoshi era are considered crucial indicators in the cryptocurrency market, often closely monitored for any signs that early adopters may alter their positions.