Bitcoin's Creator: A $108 Billion Mystery
1min read Bitcoin's mysterious creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, may have amassed a fortune that surpasses that of Bill Gates, according to recent claims by Coinbase Director Conor Grogan. Grogan's theory, based on blockchain data, suggests that Nakamoto controls approximately 1.096 million Bitcoin, currently valued at around $108 billion.
Grogan's analysis focuses on 24 recorded transfer transactions from addresses believed to belong to Nakamoto. Notably, the most common recipient of these funds is linked to the now-defunct Canadian crypto exchange CaVirtEx, which was acquired by Kraken in 2016. This revelation has fueled speculation that Kraken may hold valuable clues about Nakamoto's true identity, as the last known on-chain activity might have occurred in 2014.
Grogan's claim is not the first attempt to estimate Nakamoto's Bitcoin fortune. Bitcoin developer Sergio Demian Lerner's research, based on the Patoshi Pattern, estimates that Nakamoto controls roughly 1.1 million BTC, closely aligning with Grogan's new claim. However, some skeptics argue that Nakamoto's coins might not be as consolidated as many assume, and others believe that Nakamoto deliberately spread their holdings across multiple wallets, making it difficult to pinpoint an exact number.
Speculation about Nakamoto's identity has persisted since Bitcoin's creation. Many individuals have been named as possible creators, including Craig Wright, Hal Finney, Nick Szabo, and Dorian Nakamoto. However, none of these claims have been definitively proven, and the true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto remains a mystery.
Despite the ongoing debate surrounding Nakamoto's identity and the extent of their Bitcoin holdings, one thing remains clear: none of the suspected Satoshi wallets have ever moved a single Bitcoin in a way that suggests liquidation or personal spending. This has further fueled speculation about Nakamoto's intentions and the future of their Bitcoin fortune.
