Clifton Collins: Another $30M Transfer From Drug Dealer’s Lost BTC Stack

The "lost" Bitcoin hoard of Clifton Collins has woken up for a third time this year, transferring 500 BTC worth $30 million to a brand new address. This address then transferred the stack to a Coinbase Custody address just a few minutes later.

On-chain data from Clifton Collins entity on Arkham Intel shows an address linked to the former drug dealer turned honeymaker has executed another transfer, moving a chunk of funds from his multi-million dollar stack, now worth $277 million.

Collins, a former security guard and cannabis cultivator from Dublin, accumulated 6,000 BTC between 2011 and 2012 using the proceeds from his drug-dealing activities. Following his arrest in 2017, his landlord disposed of his belongings, sending a hidden fishing rod case containing his printed private keys to a landfill in County Galway. 

For years, the crypto community assumed the keys were incinerated abroad, leaving the fortune lost forever.  However, that narrative completely changed in 2026 with the wallet making two 500 BTC transfers prior to this third one. 

This transfer comes after the 500 BTC transfer to Coinbase Custody in March and the additional 500 BTC transfer to a Wintermute Binance deposit address in May. 

Who is Moving the Funds?

Early theories suggested that Collins might have retained a backup or that burglars from a reported 2020 break-in were cashing out. However, institutional law enforcement remains the most likely actor.  

Previous movements closely coincided with official announcements from the Garda (Ireland’s national police), confirming cryptocurrency seizures executed alongside the Criminal Assets Bureau and Europol. This latest multi-million dollar transfer suggests that authorities are continuing to systematically liquidate or secure the remaining assets from Collins' historic stash. 

Interestingly, despite the first 500 BTC transfer directly matching up with a Garda announcement, the second and third 500 BTC transfers do not currently have an accompanying announcement. 

This is a developing story.