Satoshi-era Bitcoin whale wallets linked to Silk Road transfer $324 million after 12 years.

Two Bitcoin wallets from the Satoshi era, which have been inactive for more than ten years, have recently become active, transferring a total of 3,422 BTC, valued at approximately $324.2 million based on current exchange rates.

On May 6, a blockchain analysis firm reported that one of these wallets, identified as “1NWPS,” moved 2,343 BTC, equating to roughly $222.2 million. The assets in this wallet had remained untouched for over ten years.

The second wallet, named “1PiEK,” facilitated the transfer of 1,079 BTC, which is around $102.5 million. This wallet had also been dormant for a significant period, with its last recorded activity almost 12 years ago.

In the meantime, an independent analyst has suggested that these wallets may be linked to Silk Road, the infamous darknet marketplace that was known for its use of Bitcoin during its operation.

The analyst noted that an examination of the transaction history revealed connections to historic UTXO consolidations, indicating ties to Silk Road dating back to 2012.

Notably, a portion of the recently transferred funds can be traced back to a major transaction involving 10,000 BTC, believed to be linked to Silk Road assets. These coins were then redistributed to various addresses, including the two wallets that have now been reactivated.

Additionally, an earlier consolidation of 19,940 BTC confirmed in another transaction involved some coins that ended up in a separate wallet later confiscated by authorities following the arrest of Silk Road’s founder.

Taking these findings into account, the analyst expressed, “The recent activity marks the first movement from these wallets in over a decade. While the identity of the party behind these funds remains unclear, their origins are explicitly connected to Silk Road.”