Bitcoin’s elusive creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, has vaulted into the ranks of the world’s wealthiest individuals as Bitcoin surged past $120,000 on Sunday.
Key Takeaways:
Satoshi Nakamoto’s Bitcoin holdings are now worth over $132.8 billion.
Analysts predict Nakamoto could rise to second richest by 2026 if Bitcoin grows at its historical rate.
Blockchain analytics firm Arkham estimates Nakamoto holds roughly 1.096 million BTC spread across thousands of wallets, valued at over $132.8 billion at current prices.
The staggering fortune theoretically places Nakamoto at 11th on Forbes’ billionaire list, overtaking tech magnate Michael Dell, whose net worth sits at $125.1 billion.
Satoshi Nakamoto’s Rise to Continue
Analysts believe Nakamoto’s rise may continue. Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas predicted in early June that if Bitcoin maintains its typical 50% annual growth, Nakamoto could reach second place on the billionaire list by 2026.
Balchunas highlighted the founder’s decision never to cash out, comparing Nakamoto to legendary investor Jack Bogle, who amassed a modest fortune despite revolutionizing the investment world.
If bitcoin does its normal 50%/ann then Satoshi will pass Buffett this year and Zuck sometime next year-ish to be #2 richest in world (Elon has huge lead). It's fascinating to ponder that the founder of something so successful never cashed in. It echoes Jack Bogle in that regard https://t.co/tu9MRzUD5h
— Eric Balchunas (@EricBalchunas) June 2, 2025
Compared to other large Bitcoin holders, Nakamoto’s stash is unmatched.
Corporations and custodians collectively hold about 847,000 BTC, or roughly 4% of Bitcoin’s capped supply.
Notable individual holders include the Winklevoss twins with around 70,000 BTC, venture capitalist Tim Draper with about 30,000 BTC purchased at a 2014 auction, and Michael Saylor, co-founder of Strategy, who reportedly holds close to 18,000 BTC privately.
Notably, Forbes’ rankings exclude cryptocurrency holdings, focusing instead on publicly verifiable assets like stocks.
Despite Bitcoin’s historic climb, Nakamoto still trails behind the likes of Elon Musk, who leads the list with an estimated $404 billion fortune.
For Nakamoto to claim the top spot, Bitcoin would need to jump approximately 208% to around $370,000, assuming the wealth of other billionaires remains unchanged.
The price leap would propel Nakamoto ahead of Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who hold fortunes of $274 billion each.
$20K Bitcoin Sent to Satoshi’s Wallet
Last month, an unknown wallet transferred $20,000 worth of Bitcoin to Nakamoto’s Genesis Block address, marking the largest movement to the Bitcoin creator’s wallet in four months.
Analysts from Arkham Intelligence said the transaction may have been either an accidental exchange withdrawal or a deliberate tribute from an early Bitcoin supporter honoring Nakamoto.
The recent transfer follows a pattern of periodic large donations to Satoshi’s wallets, often linked to exchange withdrawals.
Historical data shows transfers ranging from thousands to over a million dollars over the years.
The dormant wallets now hold approximately $117 billion in Bitcoin, untouched since Nakamoto vanished in 2011, and any significant movement from these addresses would likely cause major market upheaval.
Amid this activity, speculation over Satoshi’s true identity has intensified.
Researchers have recently pointed to Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey as a potential candidate based on circumstantial evidence, while fraud claims by Craig Wright were dismissed in court.
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