80,000 BTC moved: What does this mean?
On July 4, 2025, eight Satoshi-era Bitcoin wallets moved a total of 80,000 BTC. Each wallet contained 10,000 BTC, sparking inevitable turmoil in the cryptocurrency space.
The Satoshi era is generally considered to span the years 2009 to 2011. During that time, Bitcoin (Coinbase director Conor Grogan, though no evidence has been found yet.
Yet one of the most supported theories is that this was Roger Ver’s Bitcoin movement due to his early involvement with Bitcoin since 2011. Ver, also known as “Bitcoin Jesus,” was arrested in Spain on US tax evasion charges in April 2024. He is accused of failing to pay $48 million in taxes on the sale of $240 million worth of Bitcoin.
He was released on bail in June 2025, just before the movement occurred, sparking further speculation that the wallets are his.
Did you know? These 10,000-BTC movements come from eight wallets. Each one marks the largest Bitcoin transaction ever. The previous record for the biggest single transaction in Bitcoin history was a mere 3,700 BTC.
What are OP_RETURN messages?
OP_RETURN messages are a feature of the Bitcoin blockchain that allows users to embed small amounts of data, with a maximum size of 80 bytes, directly into a transaction, which marks the output as unspendable.
From July 1 to July 4, 2025, four OP-RETURN messages were added to the Bitcoin blockchain. These messages were sent to several wallets at the same time.
The first, on July 1, 2025, at 00:30, reads:
“LEGAL NOTICE: We have taken possession of this wallet and its contents.” (Transaction ID: 4f7c80c05fd77a9c9b180f7f6400560d1ab6cf3a4ba1b6bf7429eeeefa500a05).
Three additional messages were sent over the next few days, culminating on July 4, 2025. One message gave the wallet owner an ultimatum. They need to prove ownership by making an onchain transaction with their private keys by Sept. 30, 2025.
There’s no proof of a hack. It’s more likely a planned spam campaign. This could be to trick the wallet owner into moving funds to show control. Scammers often target dormant wallets, claiming they are abandoned.
The spam campaign triggered speculation across various online platforms. Some speculated that the OP_RETURN messages were a “legal stunt” or scam to pressure the whale owner into revealing themselves.
Others called the messages “blockchain graffiti.” This is often a way to fill the chain with bold data. However, their specific focus and timing show clear intent.