Part 4/12:
By following the transaction trail on the blockchain, investigators uncovered that the coins weren’t sold at all. Instead, they were transferred to eight brand-new addresses, all of which utilized SegWit, a modern, more secure Bitcoin address format that starts with “bc1q”. This upgrade effectively signifies a move from outdated, legacy addresses to a safer, more efficient system designed to enhance security and reduce transaction costs.
The key takeaway: these coins weren’t dumped; they were migrated. The original wallets moved their holdings into sophisticated, upgraded wallets—an obvious security enhancement rather than a fire sale. The coins remain untouched in these new addresses, sitting dormant once again, but now protected against future technological threats.