Long-dormant Bitcoin wallets containing coins untouched for at least five years have transferred more than $52 billion worth of the cryptocurrency in 2025, marking one of the most significant movements of ancient supply in the asset's history. Holders who purchased Bitcoin as far back as a decade ago are now moving their holdings, with a single wallet containing 80,000 BTC accounting for $9.5 billion of the oldest coins awakened this year.
Key Developments in Dormant Bitcoin Movements
- •Bitcoin holders have revived $52 billion in coins dormant for five or more years during 2025, approaching 2024's record total despite three weeks remaining in the year.
- •The 10-plus years age group saw the highest annual movement on record, with $13.3 billion in ancient supply activated, including $9.5 billion from one wallet holding 80,000 BTC.
- •Separate market volatility triggered $686 million in liquidations across cryptocurrency derivatives markets as Bitcoin fell below $100,000 before recovering to current levels.
Unprecedented Activity from Ancient Wallets
On-chain analyst Checkmate documented the movements in a recent analysis, breaking down the revived supply into three distinct age categories. The classification system defines coins as dormant when they remain uninvolved in any blockchain transaction for a minimum of five years.
The youngest category spans five to seven years and represents buyers from the previous two Bitcoin market cycles who maintained their positions through multiple price swings. These wallets moved $22.7 billion in 2025.
The middle tier covers seven to ten years of dormancy, a range where analysts note coins may become permanently lost rather than deliberately held, contributing $16.2 billion to this year's total.
The oldest category encompasses coins dormant for more than a decade.
This group represents the earliest Bitcoin adopters and generated $13.3 billion in movement during 2025. Historical data shows 2024 remains the only year to exceed 2025's total five-year-plus revived supply, though three weeks remain before year-end. The current year has already surpassed 2024 in one specific metric: the volume of coins dormant for more than 10 years that returned to circulation.
Market Volatility Triggers Derivative Losses
Cryptocurrency derivatives markets absorbed $686 million in liquidations over a 24-hour period as Bitcoin and other digital assets experienced sharp price fluctuations, according to data from CoinGlass. Long positions bore the majority of losses at $363 million, while short contracts accounted for $318 million in forced closures.
The liquidation pattern reflects Bitcoin's volatile trajectory during the period. The cryptocurrency initially dropped below $100,000 before recovering to present levels. Short positions suffered substantial losses despite the net downward movement because of the price recovery.
Bitcoin-related derivative contracts generated $231 million in liquidations, representing the largest share among individual assets. Ethereum contracts ranked second with $165 million in forced closures.
Understanding Key Cryptocurrency Terms
Dormant coins refer to Bitcoin that has not moved between wallets or participated in any blockchain transaction for a specified period. Analysts track these movements to understand long-term holder behavior and identify potential selling pressure. A coin's age resets to zero once it moves, regardless of how long it previously remained dormant.
Liquidations occur when derivatives exchanges automatically close leveraged positions after the underlying asset moves against the trader's bet beyond a certain threshold. Long liquidations happen when prices fall, forcing exchanges to sell positions to prevent further losses. Short liquidations occur during price increases, requiring exchanges to buy back assets to close bearish bets.
Concluding Observations
The $52 billion in revived ancient Bitcoin supply during 2025 demonstrates significant activity among the cryptocurrency's earliest and most patient holders, with the 10-plus years cohort setting a new annual record. Concurrent derivative market liquidations totaling $686 million highlight the ongoing volatility that continues to characterize Bitcoin trading despite its maturation as an asset class.