A Bitcoin wallet sitting untouched since the early days of the network has moved 100 $BTC after more than 14 years of inactivity, drawing fresh attention to one of the most unusual legal disp
A Bitcoin wallet sitting untouched since the early days of the network has moved 100 $BTC after more than 14 years of inactivity, drawing fresh attention to one of the most unusual legal disputes in the history of cryptocurrency.
The wallet first received its coins on November 2, 2011, when Bitcoin was trading at roughly $3. The wallet remained inactive until transferring the coins in block 967732.The value of the holdings has risen approximately 2,486,052 percent since the initial receipt. At current prices, the transfer is worth around $8.09 million.
Galaxy Research highlighted the move on X, attributing the sender to Noah Doe #3113 from address 1Mj5R3kbScUeccyiNKJnAMk6vhHppzsEq8.The wallet received its Bitcoin just a few months after Satoshi Nakamoto stopped public activity, and it had remained dormant since then.
The Bitcoin stash was likely mined before the first halving, which occurred on November 28, 2012. Each block at that time produced a 50 BTC reward, meaning a wallet containing exactly 100 BTC may suggest the holder was an early Bitcoin miner, though no further facts have confirmed this.
The wallet's label connects it to a high-stakes legal battle still unfolding in New York. In March 2026, a lawsuit was filed in New York's Supreme Court seeking quiet title to more than 3.7 million BTC tied to 39,069 Bitcoin addresses. Plaintiffs "Noah Doe" and two unnamed Wyoming LLCs asked the court to declare them the owners of the long-dormant Bitcoin.
The anonymous plaintiffs, represented by Brooklyn-based Lewis and Lin LLC, are seeking a declaratory judgment establishing ownership over tens of thousands of Bitcoin wallets under New York Personal Property Law Article 7-B, the state's lost-and-found statute.This statute has apparently never before been applied to digital assets on a blockchain.
Moving the coins proves that someone controls the private key, but it does not establish who legally owns the Bitcoin or whether it was sold. No court has ruled on ownership yet, and the case remains open in New York County Supreme Court. Critics of the lawsuit have also noted a fundamental obstacle: a declaratory judgment would be functionally useless without the private keys, which the plaintiffs do not have.
This latest transfer is not an isolated event. Six wallets last active between 2011 and 2014 moved a combined 553.59 BTC worth about $40 million between August 16 and August 26, according to data tracked by Galaxy Research.Galaxy described 2024 and 2025 as a period of great distribution and said 2026 is on pace to see less than half as much dormant Bitcoin move as last year.
Sources:The Daily Hodl: Bitcoin Wallet Awakens After 14 Years Moving 100 BTCCoinDesk: Why Bitcoin Wallets Untouched for More Than 10 Years Are Moving MillionsThe Block: NY Judge Stays Lawsuit Seeking Ownership of Nearly 40,000 Bitcoin Wallets
