Marketdash
Back to News

Bitcoin OG Who Held Since 2011 Cashes Out $1.3 Billion Stake as BTC Tumbles Below $83,000

MarketDash Editorial Team
17 days ago
Owen Gunden, who held Bitcoin for 14 years, just sold his entire position worth $1.3 billion during one of the steepest crypto declines in recent memory. The move has traders debating whether it's savvy profit-taking or a troubling signal.

When you hold an asset for 14 years and then decide to dump the entire thing in one fell swoop, people tend to notice. That's exactly what happened when Owen Gunden, an early Bitcoin (BTC) investor who started accumulating back in 2011, sold off his entire position this week.

The Final Exit

Gunden transferred $230 million worth of Bitcoin to cryptocurrency exchange Kraken on Thursday, according to blockchain analytics firm Arkham. But that was just the finale of a months-long selling spree that started in late October. All told, he offloaded 11,000 BTC worth about $1.3 billion. Not a bad return on whatever he paid back when Bitcoin was trading for pocket change.

The timing is notable. This selloff happened during one of the steepest declines Bitcoin has experienced in recent memory, with the cryptocurrency drowning below $83,000.

Smart Money or Warning Sign?

Here's where it gets interesting. Despite walking away with a billion-dollar payday, not everyone is applauding. Some traders on X found the move downright suspicious.

"Just feels like a strikingly odd move for an investor to hold something for 14 years and then go from 100% -> 0% holding," wrote a user operating under the pseudonym DGMD.6529. "Do you think these people know something we don't?"

The optimists, naturally, interpreted it as a market bottom signal. When the last holdout finally capitulates, the thinking goes, there's nowhere to go but up.

The Great Whale Distribution

Gunden isn't alone. His exit represents the latest chapter in a broader story of long-term "OG" holders offloading their Bitcoin to retail traders and institutions. Wallets holding between 10 and 10,000 BTC dumped 77,120 BTC last week alone, representing roughly 0.44% of total supply and accelerating the selloff.

According to market commentators, this type of distribution typically occurs near the late stages of bull cycles, as veteran holders lock in profits while new entrants absorb the supply. Whether that means we're nearing a top or just experiencing healthy rotation depends on who you ask.

Price Action: At the time of writing, Bitcoin was trading at $82,937, down 9.62% over the past 24 hours.

Back to News

Bitcoin OG Who Held Since 2011 Cashes Out $1.3 Billion Stake as BTC Tumbles Below $83,000

MarketDash Editorial Team
17 days ago
Owen Gunden, who held Bitcoin for 14 years, just sold his entire position worth $1.3 billion during one of the steepest crypto declines in recent memory. The move has traders debating whether it's savvy profit-taking or a troubling signal.

When you hold an asset for 14 years and then decide to dump the entire thing in one fell swoop, people tend to notice. That's exactly what happened when Owen Gunden, an early Bitcoin (BTC) investor who started accumulating back in 2011, sold off his entire position this week.

The Final Exit

Gunden transferred $230 million worth of Bitcoin to cryptocurrency exchange Kraken on Thursday, according to blockchain analytics firm Arkham. But that was just the finale of a months-long selling spree that started in late October. All told, he offloaded 11,000 BTC worth about $1.3 billion. Not a bad return on whatever he paid back when Bitcoin was trading for pocket change.

The timing is notable. This selloff happened during one of the steepest declines Bitcoin has experienced in recent memory, with the cryptocurrency drowning below $83,000.

Smart Money or Warning Sign?

Here's where it gets interesting. Despite walking away with a billion-dollar payday, not everyone is applauding. Some traders on X found the move downright suspicious.

"Just feels like a strikingly odd move for an investor to hold something for 14 years and then go from 100% -> 0% holding," wrote a user operating under the pseudonym DGMD.6529. "Do you think these people know something we don't?"

The optimists, naturally, interpreted it as a market bottom signal. When the last holdout finally capitulates, the thinking goes, there's nowhere to go but up.

The Great Whale Distribution

Gunden isn't alone. His exit represents the latest chapter in a broader story of long-term "OG" holders offloading their Bitcoin to retail traders and institutions. Wallets holding between 10 and 10,000 BTC dumped 77,120 BTC last week alone, representing roughly 0.44% of total supply and accelerating the selloff.

According to market commentators, this type of distribution typically occurs near the late stages of bull cycles, as veteran holders lock in profits while new entrants absorb the supply. Whether that means we're nearing a top or just experiencing healthy rotation depends on who you ask.

Price Action: At the time of writing, Bitcoin was trading at $82,937, down 9.62% over the past 24 hours.