South Korean crypto exchange Bithumb says more than $200 million in digital assets remain unclaimed across about 2.6 million inactive user accounts. The disclosure shines a light on how much retail crypto wealth from earlier bull markets still sits untouched on centralized platforms.
The exchange shared the figures on Jan. 2 as part of a renewed push to encourage customers to log back in, verify access, and recover balances that may have been forgotten during past market rallies.
Dormant Accounts Hold Major Tokens
Bithumb classifies an account as dormant when a user has not logged in for a long period. This status often adds extra steps for trading or withdrawals, which can discourage users from reactivating their wallets.
According to prior Korean business reports, the value of inactive assets has reached hundreds of billions of won in the past. These balances often sit in well known cryptocurrencies that dominated earlier cycles, including:
- Bitcoin
- Ethereum
- XRP
This trend reflects heavy retail participation during previous market peaks, when many investors bought crypto and then stepped away as prices cooled.
Recovery Campaigns Aim to Protect Users
Bithumb has run similar asset recovery campaigns before. The exchange frames these efforts as customer protection measures designed to reconnect users with what it calls sleeping assets.
Earlier recovery drives reportedly involved dormant holdings worth more than 267 billion won. In many cases, users lost access because of outdated phone numbers, forgotten passwords, or incomplete identity checks.
For customers who discover an inactive balance, the recovery process usually includes contacting support and completing updated verification. This step becomes essential if SMS authentication no longer works due to a changed phone number.
Market Impact Could Follow Reactivations
The announcement arrives as crypto prices remain elevated. Bitcoin traded near $89,000 on Jan. 2, which raises the value of long forgotten holdings.
If even a fraction of dormant users regain access, their actions could influence the market. Some may sell and take profits, while others could return to trading or staking. Therefore, these inactive accounts represent more than idle funds. They may soon become active players again.
