A long-inactive Ethereum whale has resurfaced after nearly a decade, moving a substantial amount of ETH.
The renewed activity, uncovered through blockchain tracking, comes as cryptocurrency prices decline and liquidations accelerate.
Key Points
- The Ethereum address “0xb5…Fb168D6” moved 50,000 ETH across two transactions.
- Total value of the transferred ETH is approximately $145 million at current prices.
- The wallet had been inactive since 2017, previously withdrawing 135,000 ETH from Bitfinex.
- On-chain data shows the wallet still holds roughly 85,283 ETH.
Ethereum Whale Moves After Years of Silence
On Sunday, a previously dormant Ethereum address transferred a combined 50,000 ETH to a wallet associated with the Gemini exchange. Analytics firm EmberCN detected the movement through Arkham Intelligence data.
The transfers occurred in two separate transactions. The address first moved 25,000 ETH. Then, several hours later, it sent another 25,000 ETH, bringing the total to roughly $145 million at current prices.
This sudden activity stood out because the wallet had been dormant for a long time. The address, labeled “0xb5…Fb168D6,” had remained inactive since 2017. According to EmberCN, its last known movement involved withdrawing approximately 135,000 ETH from the Bitfinex exchange.
At the time, Ethereum was trading near $90, valuing the holdings at $12.17 million. Despite the recent transfers, on-chain data indicates the wallet still retains approximately 85,283 ETH, highlighting the magnitude of the remaining position.
Parallel Whale Activity Emerges in Bitcoin
Interestingly, the Ethereum movement coincided with renewed activity from long-dormant Bitcoin holders. Last week, a Bitcoin wallet that had been inactive for 13 years transferred roughly 909 BTC to a new address. The transaction was approximately $84 million at the time.
Although there is no direct connection between Ethereum and Bitcoin wallets, the near-simultaneous reactivation of long-term holdings has sparked speculation about evolving sentiment among veteran crypto investors.
Crypto Prices Slide Amid Renewed Selling Pressure
These whale movements occurred amid declining cryptocurrency prices. Ethereum continued to weaken, falling below the $2,900 level for the fourth time since November 20, 2025, according to CoinGecko.
At the time of writing, ETH was trading at $2,866, down 2.5% over the past 24 hours and 10.2% over the previous week. Bitcoin also moved lower, slipping 1.2% to around $87,730, contributing to broader market weakness.
Liquidations Surge Across Major Exchanges
The downturn triggered a wave of forced liquidations across crypto exchanges. CoinGlass data shows that approximately $676 million in crypto positions were liquidated over 24 hours.
Notably, long positions accounted for most of the losses, totaling approximately $605.11 million. Ethereum recorded the highest liquidation volume at $220.46 million, followed by Bitcoin at $192.99 million.
In particular, the largest single liquidation occurred on Binance, where an ETHUSDT position worth $15.22 million was closed during the sell-off.
DisClamier: This content is informational and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author's personal opinions and do not reflect The Crypto Basic opinion. Readers are encouraged to do thorough research before making any investment decisions. The Crypto Basic is not responsible for any financial losses.
