TLDR
A wallet linked to convicted Irish drug dealer Clifton Collins moved 500 BTC, worth about $41.5 million, to a Coinbase Prime address on Oct. 20.
It was the fifth 500 BTC transfer from Collins-linked wallets this year, bringing the total moved to 2,500 BTC, worth about $208 million.
The coins had been untouched since January 2016, nearly 11 years.
Ireland’s Criminal Assets Bureau has confirmed recovering 1,500 BTC. Arkham believes law enforcement is behind the later moves, but this has not been confirmed.
About 3,500 BTC, worth roughly $291 million, remains in wallets tied to Collins.
A Bitcoin wallet linked to convicted Irish drug dealer Clifton Collins has moved about $41.5 million worth of the cryptocurrency. The funds had been inactive for nearly 11 years.
Blockchain analytics firm Arkham Intelligence reported that 500 BTC moved on Oct. 20. The coins went to a wallet Arkham identifies as a Coinbase Prime deposit address.
THIS IRISH DRUGLORD’S BTC JUST MOVED – AGAIN
Clifton Collins is a former Irish drug dealer who bought 6,000 BTC before 2012. In 2017, he was jailed and his belongings were sent to a dump by his landlord.
500 BTC from his stash just moved. pic.twitter.com/nsVa8r7BPl
— Arkham (@arkham) October 20, 2026
This is the fifth 500 BTC transfer from Collins-linked wallets this year. In total, 2,500 BTC has now moved, worth about $208 million at a Bitcoin price of around $83,157.
Coins Held Since 2016 Are Moved
Blockchain records show the latest transfer came from coins received in January 2016. Those holdings had not been touched since then.
After the funds arrived, the receiving address split them into 42 outputs. These included 40 transfers of exactly 10 BTC each.
Earlier transfers in July and August followed the same pattern. In those cases, separate wallets also sent 500 BTC each to the same Coinbase Prime-linked address.
The records do not show whether any Bitcoin was sold. They also do not reveal who approved the latest transfer.
How the Fortune Was Lost and Found
Collins was a former security guard and cannabis grower. He built up about 6,000 BTC between 2011 and 2012 using money from drug dealing.
He reportedly split the coins across 12 wallets holding 500 BTC each. He stored the private keys on printed paper hidden inside a fishing rod case.
After Collins went to prison in 2017, his landlord reportedly threw out his belongings, including the case. They ended up at a landfill in County Galway, and the Bitcoin was widely believed to be lost.
That changed in 2026. In March, Ireland’s Criminal Assets Bureau, working with Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre, said it had accessed a wallet holding 500 BTC, then worth about €30 million.
The bureau announced another 500 BTC recovery in May and a third in July. That brought its officially confirmed total to 1,500 BTC.
Europol gave investigators technical help and decryption tools. Authorities have not explained how they regained access to the wallets.
Another 500 BTC moved in August, followed by the October transfer. Both go beyond the amounts the bureau confirmed in July.
Arkham says law enforcement is the most likely party behind the moves, based on their size and similarity to earlier seizures. Irish authorities have not publicly confirmed their role in the latest transfer.
Coinbase Prime offers custody and trading services for large holders. Bitcoin can be moved there without being sold on the open market.
The Criminal Assets Bureau decides how to sell or dispose of seized property case by case under court orders. It has not said whether it will keep or sell the latest 500 BTC.
About 3,500 BTC, worth roughly $291 million, remains in wallets Arkham links to Collins. Bitcoin was trading near $81,870 at the time of reporting, down 1.42% over 24 hours.
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