Inactive Ethereum Address Transfers 50,000 ETH After 7 Years

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Key Takeaways

An Ethereum address inactive since 2017 has transferred 50,000 ETH, currently valued at approximately $145 million.
This transfer was detected through blockchain analytics, occurring in two separate transactions.
The recent activity among Ethereum whales coincides with a similar movement in long-dormant Bitcoin wallets.
Cryptocurrency prices are facing downward pressure, leading to a surge in liquidations across exchanges.

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Summary:
A dormant Ethereum wallet, inactive since 2017, has moved a significant amount of ETH during a downturn in crypto markets. This move coincided with similar activity among long-held Bitcoin addresses, suggesting possible shifts in investor sentiment as prices slide and liquidations rise across major exchanges.

Ethereum Whale Resurfaces After Years of Inactivity

On Sunday, a previously dormant Ethereum address completed a transfer of 50,000 ETH to a wallet linked to the Gemini exchange. Analytics firm EmberCN identified this activity using Arkham Intelligence data. The transfers happened in two separate transactions: first, 25,000 ETH was moved, followed by another transfer of 25,000 ETH just hours later. This amount translates to about $145 million based on current market prices.

What makes this movement notable is that the address, identified as “0xb5…Fb168D6,” had been inactive since 2017. The last recorded activity involved cashing out around 135,000 ETH from the Bitfinex exchange when Ethereum was trading close to $90, making the total withdrawal worth approximately $12.17 million at that time. Despite the recent transfers, on-chain data indicates the wallet still holds about 85,283 ETH, underscoring the scale of its remaining assets.

Increased Whale Activity in Bitcoin

Interestingly, the recent Ethereum movements align with a surge in activity from Bitcoin holders who have not transacted for a long time. Last week, a Bitcoin wallet that had remained inactive for 13 years transferred around 909 BTC to a new address, which was valued at roughly $84 million at that time. While no direct link exists between the reactivation of these Ethereum and Bitcoin wallets, the simultaneous movements have led to speculation regarding changing sentiment among seasoned crypto investors.

Cryptocurrency Prices Decline Amid Selling Pressure

These whale transactions occurred during a period of decreasing cryptocurrency prices. Ethereum has struggled, dropping below the $2,900 benchmark for the fourth time since November 20, 2025, according to CoinGecko. At the time of this report, ETH was trading at $2,866, representing a 2.5% decrease within 24 hours and a 10.2% decline over the past week. Bitcoin also faced a downturn, slipping 1.2% to approximately $87,730, adding to the overall market weakness.

Surge in Liquidations Across Major Crypto Exchanges

The market downturn has resulted in a wave of forced liquidations across various cryptocurrency exchanges. Data from CoinGlass reveals that approximately $676 million worth of crypto positions were liquidated within a 24-hour period. Notably, the majority of losses came from long positions, amounting to roughly $605.11 million. Ethereum experienced the highest liquidation volume at $220.46 million, followed by Bitcoin at $192.99 million. The largest single liquidation occurred on Binance, where an ETHUSDT position valued at $15.22 million was closed during the market sell-off.

Crypto Liquidations on January 25 2026

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