Bitcoin experienced a decline as traders kept a close eye on the activity of wallets linked to the defunct Mt. Gox exchange. The exchange’s administrators have been working diligently to return a substantial $9 billion worth of Bitcoin to its creditors.
The cryptocurrency fell by as much as 3.1%, trading around $67,850 at 3:14 p.m. Tuesday in Singapore. This downturn also impacted smaller cryptocurrencies, including Ethereum, the second-largest digital currency.
According to data from CryptoQuant and Arkham Intelligence, virtually all of the 137,000 Bitcoins, valued at over $9.3 billion, held in Mt. Gox wallets, were transferred starting early Tuesday in Asia.
Mt. Gox, once the world’s largest Bitcoin exchange, was hacked in 2011 and declared bankrupt in 2014. Last year, U.S. prosecutors charged two Russian nationals with conspiring to hack the exchange’s servers.
The trustee of Mt. Gox has indicated that creditors can expect to receive base, intermediate, and early lump-sum payments by October 31 as the liquidation process advances. A critical question remains whether these recipients will sell their tokens, potentially pressuring Bitcoin’s price.
This latest movement of Mt. Gox wallets is the first since May 2018. Previously, the exchange held about 137,892 Bitcoins, according to CryptoQuant data.
In addition to Bitcoin, Mt. Gox also possessed Bitcoin Cash and fiat currency, with some fiat money already returned. Bitcoin Cash saw a drop of up to 5% on Tuesday.
Caroline Bowler, CEO of BTC Markets, downplayed the significance of these movements, suggesting they would only have a short-term impact. “Mt. Gox could certainly nudge the price, but it won’t have a lasting effect on Bitcoin’s price. The broader market is now more focused on the bipartisan support from U.S. lawmakers for crypto-friendly regulations,” she said.
Despite a severe bear market in 2022, Bitcoin has rebounded significantly, quadrupling in value since the beginning of last year, bolstered by the launch of spot-Bitcoin exchange-traded funds in January. The cryptocurrency hit a record high of $73,798 in mid-March.
