Satoshi-Era Bitcoin Whale Sends Final $4.8B to Galaxy Digital, Stirring Sale Speculation

A legendary early bitcoin (BTC) whale has officially moved the remainder of their massive holdings — 40,191 BTC, worth approximately $4.8 billion — to Galaxy Digital, completing the transfer of a once-dormant 80,000 BTC stash first acquired over 14 years ago.

Blockchain data from Arkham Intelligence shows the final tranche was sent Friday in 15 separate transactions, consolidating from four prior wallets into a Galaxy-tagged address. The activity follows a wave of movements that began on July 4 — the whale’s first since April 2011 — with multiple batches of 10,000 BTC previously routed to new addresses.

Earlier this week, 40,010 BTC were transferred to Galaxy Digital, which has since begun moving portions to Coinbase, Gemini, Bitstamp, and several unlabeled wallets — signs consistent with over-the-counter (OTC) distribution or preparation for large-scale liquidation.

While transferring coins to exchanges or trading desks does not definitively confirm a sale, such moves often precede selling activity. In contrast, long-term holders typically store assets in cold wallets, giving market participants cause to anticipate potential sell pressure.

As of now, Galaxy’s wallet holds 40,288 BTC with no outbound transactions recorded from the latest transfer. The movement comes as BTC trades around $118,000, hovering just below its all-time highs, adding to speculation that the whale could be timing the market top for a strategic exit.