Bitcoin rally adds $15B to Satoshi's holdings as BTC tops $81K

Bitcoin rose 22 percent to $81,265 in seven days, adding roughly $15 billion to Satoshi Nakamoto's estimated 1.096 million BTC holdings, Arkham data shows. The world's largest cryptocurrency moved from a low of $62,679 on Aug. 17 to its highest level since mid-May.

"The macro backdrop has become more supportive for risk assets, while nearly $2 billion flowed into U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs last week," Dave Liebowitz, head of growth at private credit platform Cap, said. "That combination of improving liquidity conditions and sustained institutional demand can move Bitcoin very quickly."

The rally was driven by several converging forces. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent doubled long-dated Treasury buybacks from $2 billion to $4 billion per operation and raised the possibility of deploying nearly $950 billion held in the Treasury General Account. Markets read the move as a debasement signal, Liebowitz said. The sharp upward movement resulted in $3 billion in short bets being liquidated in one day, marking Bitcoin's best week since March 2023. August has been the strongest month for spot Bitcoin ETF inflows all year at about $2.4 billion, nearly wiping out half of the year-to-date deficit, according to Thomas Perfumo, global economist at Kraken.

Satoshi Nakamoto is believed to have mined roughly 1.096 million BTC across approximately 22,000 addresses mapped by Arkham Intelligence. At Bitcoin's current price of $78,280 as of Aug. 26, those holdings are worth $85.82 billion, up from $71 billion before the rally began and slightly down from yesterday's peak of $87 billion when BTC surpassed $81,000.

40 BTC Awakens After 14.2 Years

Recent weeks have seen the awakening of long-dormant wallets from the Satoshi era. In the most recent move, a 40 BTC holding untouched since May 28, 2012 — roughly 14.2 years — transferred in block 964127. Galaxy Research identified the recipient as German crypto custody provider Boerse Stuttgart Digital. At approximately $5 per coin, the 40 BTC represented about $200 when initially acquired. Following Bitcoin's rise, the coins were worth roughly $3.14 million at transfer, representing a realized profit of about $3.16 million — a 1,535,911 percent gain.

Next Resistance at $82,800

The next key resistance sits at $82,800, last hit on May 5, according to Tim Enneking, managing partner at Psalion. "Should BTC take that out, the bull is loose; if not, all bets are off," Enneking said. Paul Howard, senior director at crypto trading firm Wincent, expects Bitcoin could continue toward $100,000 by year-end, with retail participants and smaller wallets beginning to take positions. The combination of sustained ETF inflows, the Treasury's liquidity expansion, and renewed legislative momentum around the CLARITY Act could keep upward pressure on price in the coming weeks. If BTC breaks above $82,800, the next target could be $100,000 by year-end, according to Howard.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.