Galaxy Digital carried out one of the largest Bitcoin transactions to date as it sold more than 80,000 BTC—valued at over $9 billion—on behalf of one of its Satoshi-era investors, as announced on its company press statement.
This monumental sale is believed to be the largest notional Bitcoin sale ever, marking a historic moment in the digital asset market.
Strategic Sale by a Era-of-Satoshi Holder
The transaction represents an exit by one of Bitcoin’s earliest adopters. Galaxy stated that the move was part of the investor’s estate planning strategy, indicating a planned, long-term financial decision rather than a sudden market shift.
The sale is emblematic of some of the earliest Bitcoin owners starting to see profits after waiting through over a decade of price gyrations. “Satoshi-era” is the designation for coins minted or purchased between the years of 2009 through 2011, representing the earliest years of Bitcoin’s existence when it was being developed by its enigmatic founder, Satoshi Nakamoto.
Galaxy emphasized the significance of this move, calling it “one of the earliest and most important exits from the digital asset market.”
Sleeping Bitcoin Whales Waking Up
This sale is not one-off. In recent weeks, some of the old Bitcoin addresses have sprung back to life, transferring billions of BTC. One prominent wallet transferred $1.26 billion of Bitcoin after it remained stagnant for years. Another Satoshi-era whale transferred more than 80,000 BTC, believed to be the same asset now being sold through Galaxy.
These large-scale movements suggest growing activity among early adopters, possibly triggered by Bitcoin’s strong performance in 2025 and increased demand from institutions.
Market Impact and Institutional Involvement
Regardless of the sale size, the market remained stable overall with increasing liquidity and maturity for the crypto space. Galaxy’s successful management of the unusually high-value transaction is also a testament to the growing role of institutional figures in overseeing large cryptocurrency assets. As the coin trades at over $118,000 today, the two occurances are reflective of the long-term holders now benefiting for the first time from their early beliefs about the cryptocurrency.
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