Who is Satoshi Nakamoto? This is the question that has haunted the cryptocurrency world for over a decade. Creator of Bitcoin, the first decentralized digital currency in history, Satoshi changed the course of the global economy — and vanished like a ghost. But after all, who is this enigmatic figure?
The birth of a revolution
On October 31, 2008, Satoshi Nakamoto published a paper ('whitepaper') called 'Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System'. In it, he described a revolutionary idea: a currency that could be transferred between people without depending on banks or governments.
Months later, in January 2009, the first block of the Bitcoin blockchain — the Genesis Block — was mined, inaugurating a new financial era.
Satoshi: a person or a group?
Despite the name sounding Japanese, no one knows if Satoshi Nakamoto is a man, a woman, or even a group of people. All we have are extremely formal online communications, with impeccable English and very advanced programming techniques.
Some famous theories include:
Nick Szabo: creator of the concept of 'bit gold', which resembles Bitcoin.
Hal Finney: one of the first contributors and the first to receive a Bitcoin transaction.
Dorian Nakamoto: a Japanese engineer pointed out by the media, but who denies any connection.
And the list of suspects keeps growing...
Why did Satoshi disappear?
In 2011, after leaving the project in the hands of other developers, Satoshi Nakamoto stopped responding to public messages.
His disappearance may have been strategic: if he remained anonymous, Bitcoin could maintain its decentralization, without a 'leadership figure' that could be controlled or pursued.
Today, it is estimated that the wallets attributed to Satoshi contain about 1 million bitcoins — over 60 billion dollars — that remain untouched.
The impact of Satoshi on the world
Satoshi Nakamoto not only created Bitcoin but inspired thousands of other cryptocurrencies and a global movement for financial freedom.
Thanks to his invention, today it is possible:
Make international transfers without exorbitant fees.
Ensure protection against inflation in various countries.
Participate in new innovation markets, such as DeFi and NFTs.
The mystery of Satoshi is part of what makes Bitcoin so special: a creation that belongs to everyone, but to no one at the same time.