South Korea's Bithumb exchange has found over $200 million in crypto assets sitting idle in 2. 6 million accounts. These accounts have been untouched for at least a year, some for over a decade. The largest single holding is worth about $2. 84 million, and the longest inactive period is over 12 years.

This situation shows how many people got into crypto during early market booms but then lost interest. Some of these forgotten assets have grown by over 61, 000%, even outperforming Bitcoin's 12-year growth of around 11, 338%.

Bithumb has done similar recovery efforts before. Last year, 36, 000 users claimed about $50 million in dormant assets. The exchange says this campaign is to help users reclaim what they might have forgotten they own.

This raises bigger questions. What happens to all this unused crypto? Could it suddenly flood the market if people start reclaiming it? And how do exchanges handle communicating with inactive users and protecting their funds?

The exchange plans to notify eligible users directly and help them recover their accounts. But the bigger picture is about how much untapped money is just sitting there, waiting to be used or reclaimed.


    # **South Korea's Bithumb Exchange Discovers $200 Million in Dormant Crypto Assets**

    **Key Findings:**
    - **$200M+** in crypto assets found idle in **2.6M accounts**.
    - Some accounts untouched for **over a decade**.
    - Largest single holding: **$2.84M**.
    - Longest inactive period: **12+ years**.

    ## **The Forgotten Crypto Boom**
    - Many early adopters lost interest after initial market excitement.
    - Some assets have grown by **61,000%**, outperforming Bitcoin's **11,338%** growth over 12 years.

    ## **Bithumb's Recovery Efforts**
    - Similar campaigns in the past: **36,000 users** reclaimed **$50M** last year.
    - Current campaign aims to help users recover forgotten holdings.

    ## **Bigger Questions Raised**
    - What happens to unused crypto?
    - Could a sudden reclamation flood the market?
    - How do exchanges manage inactive accounts and protect funds?

    ## **Next Steps**
    - Bithumb plans to **notify eligible users** and assist in account recovery.
    - Highlights the **untapped wealth** sitting idle in dormant accounts.

    

Millions of Crypto Users Left Millions Behind

The Forgotten Crypto Boom

Bithumb's Recovery Efforts

Bigger Questions Raised

Next Steps

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