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SpaceX Transfers 1,308 BTC Unexpectedly

9h10 ▪ 4 min read ▪ by Luc Jose A.
Getting informed Bitcoin (BTC)

On July 22, 2025, after three years of inactivity, Elon Musk’s company transferred 1,308 BTC, equivalent to 153 million dollars, to a newly activated address. An unexpected transaction, without official explanation, sparking questions and speculation. Behind this seemingly technical move lie much more significant issues, at the crossroads of financial tensions, industrial strategy, and American contract policy.

A SpaceX space technician is handling the cryogenic transfer of Bitcoin.

In brief

  • SpaceX moved 1,308 bitcoins, worth 153 million dollars, for the first time in three years.
  • The operation involved consolidating 16 separate wallets into a single SegWit address.
  • Some analysts fear a potential BTC sale to strengthen SpaceX’s cash reserves.
  • The impact on Bitcoin’s price remains limited, but strategic implications could be major.

A discreet but massive consolidation : SpaceX centralizes its Bitcoin holdings

While SpaceX and Tesla hold 2 billion $ in Bitcoin, on July 22, 2025, data from Arkham Intelligence revealed an unusual move by Musk’s space firm on the Bitcoin blockchain : 1,308 BTC, or nearly 153 million dollars, were transferred from 16 distinct addresses into a single SegWit-compatible address.

This is the first on-chain activity recorded by SpaceX since June 2022, when more than 3,500 BTC were sent to Coinbase. This time, no destination to an exchange is identifiable, and the absence of official communication deepens the mystery surrounding this transaction.

Here are the confirmed facts so far :

  • The amount transferred : 1,308 BTC, approximately 153 million dollars at the time of the operation ;
  • Source addresses : 16 P2PKH-type wallets ;
  • Destination address : a single P2WPKH address, commonly used to optimize fees and enhance security ;
  • Last on-chain activity : June 2022, with a transfer of more than 3,500 BTC to Coinbase ;

The use of a SegWit address may indicate a desire to simplify fund management or to adopt more recent security standards, especially for a private entity managing multiple wallets.

However, the lack of communication about the company’s intentions also fuels speculation, in a market where every move by an institutional player is immediately scrutinized and analyzed.

A tense context : political pressure, financial uncertainties, and speculation around a sale

This operation on the Bitcoin network occurs just days after the announcement of a thorough review of public contracts awarded to SpaceX by the US administration, following a public spat between Elon Musk and President Donald Trump.

Government contracts represent a vital part of SpaceX’s funding. Indeed, the company has received at least a billion dollars per year since 2016 in the form of grants, tax credits, and public contracts. This tense environment has led some observers to wonder if Musk might want to strengthen SpaceX’s cash reserves by selling its assets.

Especially since this concern fits into a shifting financial climate. Alongside this transfer, the Financial Times revealed that SpaceX is considering selling one billion dollars of its own shares, in a deal that could value the company at 400 billion dollars.

If this project materializes, it could more than cover any short or medium-term liquidity needs, making a BTC sale unnecessary, at least for now. No transfer to a centralized exchange platform has been observed.

This move did not cause major shocks in the market. The BTC price rose more than 2 % in 24 hours, trading around $119,800.

In the longer term, this consolidation could be the prelude to a strategic reorganization of crypto management at SpaceX, or even at Elon Musk himself. If Musk decided to reduce his companies’ crypto exposure, the impact would be considerable, not only on the price of the flagship asset but also on the institutional perception of bitcoin, a far better investment today than ten years ago.

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Luc Jose A. avatar
Luc Jose A.

Diplômé de Sciences Po Toulouse et titulaire d'une certification consultant blockchain délivrée par Alyra, j'ai rejoint l'aventure Cointribune en 2019. Convaincu du potentiel de la blockchain pour transformer de nombreux secteurs de l'économie, j'ai pris l'engagement de sensibiliser et d'informer le grand public sur cet écosystème en constante évolution. Mon objectif est de permettre à chacun de mieux comprendre la blockchain et de saisir les opportunités qu'elle offre. Je m'efforce chaque jour de fournir une analyse objective de l'actualité, de décrypter les tendances du marché, de relayer les dernières innovations technologiques et de mettre en perspective les enjeux économiques et sociétaux de cette révolution en marche.

DISCLAIMER

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and should not be taken as investment advice. Do your own research before taking any investment decisions.