Bhutan controlled address has transferred 929 BTC, worth $66.1M

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An address controlled by the Royal Government of Bhutan (3EAoL) has transferred 929 BTC, worth $66.1M, to a Binance deposit address (bc1qx), possibly indicating a sale of the BTC amount. This is the first transfer out to a centralized exchange since its last deposit into Kraken, four months ago, where 726 BTC was transferred to Kraken deposit address, 3HfhP.

Such large transfers from a government-controlled wallet to a major exchange like Binance are often closely monitored by market analysts. While the government's exact intentions aren't confirmed, movements of this scale can spark discussions about potential market impact or a sovereign entity's portfolio management strategy.

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The Royal Government of Bhutan has been an active Bitcoin miner since as early as 2019, with the government actively funding at least four known mining sites in the country. These mining operations are run by the government’s investment arm, Druk Holding & Investments (DHI). Bhutan’s Bitcoin mining operations are currently turning over ~8.6 BTC/day, which is significantly lower than their 2023 performance, where they were mining ~26 BTC/day. This could potentially be due to the 2024 Bitcoin Halving or simply due to a rise in global hashrate.

The reduction in daily mining output highlights the challenging economics of the mining sector. The Halving event cuts block rewards, while a rising global hashrate increases competition, pressuring all miners to optimize operations.

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Today, the Royal Government of Bhutan still holds 12,467 BTC, or $899.5M worth, making it the fourth largest government holder of BTC, only behind the United States of America, the United Kingdom and China.

This substantial holding is a direct result of the country's long-term mining strategy. By actively participating in the network since 2019, the government has successfully accumulated a significant treasury, placing it among the top sovereign Bitcoin holders.