Who is Bitcoin’s creator Satoshi Nakamoto? It’s not irrelevant.
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Who is or was Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin? A recent HBO documentary names Peter Todd [who denied it], with the possible assistance of Adam Back. Suffice to say the truth here remains an open question, but it is worth asking: Why does anyone care? There is in fact a great deal at stake, certainly at the intellectual level and probably financially and politically as well.
It’s only natural, and even healthy, to be curious about who could have created more than $1 trillion in market capitalization. [Nakamoto’s concept paper, ‘Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System,’ has been pored over by crypto enthusiasts all over the world, many of them in vigorous agreement with such lines as: “What is needed is an electronic payment system based on cryptographic proof instead of trust, allowing any two willing parties to transact directly with each other without the need for a trusted third party."] Presume that Satoshi has passed away, which would explain why we no longer hear from Satoshi. Hal Finney is one oft-cited Satoshi candidate, and he died in 2014.
Under this scenario, Satoshi’s reputation is likely to remain intact: He or she stays mysterious and cannot do anything to disgrace Bitcoin. Satoshi’s large and valuable ‘origin block’ of Bitcoin is less likely to be sold. It might be frozen forever, with its current value in the tens of billions of dollars.
A deceased Satoshi also means that Satoshi cannot step forward and advocate changes in the rules of Bitcoin, such as enabling the creation of more Bitcoin. That too is likely bullish for the value of Bitcoin. A living Satoshi, in contrast, might exercise considerable sway over Bitcoin users and institutions, if he or she
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