12K BTC Removed From Coinbase, Are Whales Relenting? Reading Time: 3 mins read Coinbase, the largest exchange in the United States, has been the site of several big Bitcoin buy-ins this year. Recent reports show sudden transfers of more than 10,000 BTC to private wallets are not uncommon, but they do show a preference to store Bitcoin for the long term rather than hold it close to a point of sale. As retail investors face liquidity shortages due to high institutional participation, Bitcoin has been flowing out of Coinbase on a regular basis over the last few months. This is clear, as Bitcoin has outperformed any other institutional asset class in recent years, with returns of over 100% in Q1 2021.