- Nucleus’ dormant Bitcoin wallets moved $77.5M to new addresses after nine inactive years; $365M in BTC remains untouched.
- The dark web marketplace vanished in 2016, sparking theories of exit scams, hacks, or law enforcement seizures; recent transfers revive debate.
Bitcoin wallets associated with Nucleus, a dark web marketplace that sold illegal drugs until 2016, transferred $77.5 million in BTC to three new addresses this week. The transactions occurred after nine years of inactivity, according to data from blockchain analytics firm Arkham Intelligence. Nucleus’ remaining wallets still hold approximately $365 million in Bitcoin.
ANCIENT DARKNET MARKET WAKES UP AFTER 9 YEARS WITH OVER $400M $BTC
Wallets belonging to Nucleus Marketplace woke up this morning after 9 years of inactivity, transferring $77.5M worth of Bitcoin to 3 new wallets.
Nucleus Marketplace wallets still hold $365M BTC.
New addresses:… pic.twitter.com/JtPXBK8Aec
— Arkham (@arkham) March 7, 2025
Nucleus suspended operations abruptly in April 2016 when its website became inaccessible. Vendors and users migrated to other platforms amid speculation about the cause. Prior to its shutdown, the marketplace faced a security breach in 2015, which administrators claimed did not involve theft of funds. At the time, individuals claiming to represent Nucleus stated servers were “seized by Interpol,” though no law enforcement agency confirmed this.
The reactivated wallets revived discussions about Nucleus’ unresolved closure. Initial theories included an exit scam, where operators intentionally shut down the platform to steal user funds, or a law enforcement takedown. No conclusive evidence has emerged to confirm either scenario.
The transferred funds represent a fraction of Nucleus’ total Bitcoin holdings. Blockchain records show the original wallets received payments from marketplace users between 2014 and 2016. Analysts note the movement of dormant coins could signal attempts to liquidate assets through mixing services or decentralized exchanges.
Social media users speculated humorously about the funds’ destination, suggesting a connection to the U.S. government’s recent Bitcoin reserve policy. However, no verifiable link exists between the transactions and federal initiatives.
Nucleus’ case underscores the challenge of tracing illicit cryptocurrency flows, particularly after extended periods of inactivity. Law enforcement agencies have not commented on the recent transfers.
