A Bitcoin wallet linked to the notorious Irish drug trafficker Clifton Collins has shown signs of life for the first time in over a decade. Blockchain records reveal that 500 BTC, valued at approximately $41.52 million, have been transferred to institutional trading platform Coinbase Prime, marking a significant development in the saga surrounding Collins’ lost fortune.
Resurfacing of Long-Lost Assets
Lookonchain, a blockchain analysis service, has reported that this movement originated from a wallet associated with Collins. Coinbase Prime is renowned for catering to large-scale investors and institutions with its trading and custodial services. This recent transfer exemplifies the resurgence of Bitcoin holdings previously considered inaccessible.
Lookonchain disclosed the transfer of 500 BTC to Coinbase Prime, noting that the funds originated from wallets connected to Collins thought to be inactive for years.
These Bitcoins are part of Collins’ erstwhile cache of 6,000 BTC. Allegations had circulated that Collins misplaced the private keys, turning this loss into one of the crypto market’s most infamous missing-key tales. However, movements throughout 2026 have suggestively altered this narrative.
The Journey of 6,000 Bitcoin
Collins, once a beekeeper in Dublin, accumulated roughly 6,000 BTC between late 2011 and early 2012 through cannabis cultivation. Back then, Bitcoin traded at mere dollars, making the initial monetary value of this collection modest. As prices soared, concerns about potential theft of his wealth grew for Collins.
This apprehension led him to distribute his Bitcoin across 12 separate wallets, each containing 500 BTC. He reportedly recorded the private keys on an A4 paper, stored under the lid of a fishing tackle box. This container was then kept on a property rented in County Galway.
Irish authorities, with Europol’s assistance, have accessed a previously presumed inaccessible wallet containing 500 BTC.
2026 Seizures by Irish Authorities
In 2017, Collins’ cannabis stash led to his arrest, and he was subsequently sentenced to five years in prison. During his incarceration, the rental property was burglarized, with all items, including the elusive tackle box supposedly containing the Bitcoin keys, reportedly discarded.
In March, the Criminal Assets Bureau in Ireland announced its access to a 500 BTC wallet previously considered unreachable. As an arm of the state focused on recovering proceeds from crime, they initiated this operation with support from Europol’s European Cyber Crime Centre.
Following the March seizure of 500 BTC, additional recoveries took place—500 BTC in May, another 500 BTC in July, and on August 28, a 500 BTC slice worth about $39.56 million moved to Coinbase Prime. The latest transaction on October 20 marks the fifth such transfer this year from Collins-associated wallets.
