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thisCrowd - Audio Read
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After an extended period of dormancy, a substantial amount of Ether (ETH) has been unlocked and transferred to a new wallet, marking an event that has caught the attention of the crypto community. The whale behind the domain “darkmarket.eth” successfully reclaimed their digital assets, consisting of 63,734 ETH, which at the time of the transfer amounted to a staggering $119 million.
The story began back in 2021 when Nick Johnson, the founder and lead developer of Ethereum Name Service (ENS), issued a reminder to the owner of the “darkmarket.eth” domain. This reminder aimed to prompt the reclaiming of ETH that had been locked up in ENS deposits from the domain’s first two years. To facilitate the process, Johnson provided a link through which individuals with ETH deposited in ENS auctions could reclaim their funds. Despite this reminder, it took two years and five months before the whale retrieved their assets.
On July 31, Lookonchain, an on-chain analytics firm, flagged the long-awaited reclaiming of the funds. Subsequently, the 63,734 ETH locked in “darkmarket.eth” was moved to an entirely new wallet.
This occurrence highlights the fact that there are still over 100,000 unclaimed deeds at ENS. These unclaimed assets, worth tens of thousands in ETH, prompted Johnson to call on users to check their addresses and recover their funds.
In a similar vein, two other dormant wallets have stirred to life this month, attracting attention due to their considerable value. On July 19, a wallet containing pre-mined Ether worth a remarkable $116 million moved its funds to an address on the Kraken exchange. Notably, this wallet’s value was a mere $20 million when initially pre-mined, resulting in a remarkable 5x return for its owner over eight years.
Similarly, on July 24, another dormant wallet emerged from the shadows, moving over $30 million worth of Bitcoin after 11 years of inactivity. The assets had been acquired in April 2012 when Bitcoin’s value was a mere $4.92, making the stash worth a modest $5,108 at the time.
These events serve as a reminder of the significant potential value that may lie dormant in various wallets and domains within the crypto space. As the industry continues to evolve, it is essential for users to stay vigilant and take appropriate measures to secure and claim their digital assets.
