The price of Bitcoin (BTC) has reached the hundreds, with institutional capital flowing into the market. In light of this, analysts now face the following question: Could Satoshi Nakamoto, the mysterious creator of Bitcoin, become the richest person in the world before the end of the year?
With nearly 1.1 million BTC attributed to Satoshi, the value of his holdings is now over $130 billion at current market prices.
What could make Satoshi outshine Elon Musk?
Under the right conditions, Satoshi Nakamoto could become the richest person on the planet before the end of the year. This would dwarf Elon Musk's estimated wealth of $350-400 billion, which is heavily tied to Tesla, SpaceX, and Twitter.
For Satoshi to exceed this price, Bitcoin must reach between $320,000 and $370,000, which is an increase of 2.7 to 3.1 times its current levels. However, reaching this level means more than just a price target.
It is a referendum on the global adoption of Bitcoin, macroeconomic disruptions, and the integration of digital assets into how investors measure their wealth, including institutional investors or traditional finance investors. Many experts stated that it is not impossible for Satoshi Nakamoto to become the richest person by the end of 2025, but they acknowledged that the timeframe is extremely tight.
Can institutions push the price of Bitcoin to $320,000?
Since the approval of Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs), institutional momentum has increased. BlackRock's IBIT fund now holds nearly 727,359 Bitcoin. Capital inflows into spot trading funds exceed many analysts' expectations, with reports suggesting that BlackRock's IBIT assets could reach $100 billion this month.
However, Bitcoin's transition from $118,000 to $320,000 in five months requires more than just continuity. It requires acceleration on a historical scale:
For Bitcoin to reach $320,000 in five months, institutional purchases must exceed any level recorded so far. This requires massive actions, such as the United States declaring a strategic reserve for Bitcoin or sovereign wealth funds pumping all their investments, according to Maxim Sakharov.
Even with the pressures facing the US Treasury, moderate volatility, and geopolitical instability acting as favorable winds, the odds of everything aligning in 2025 are slim, but not impossible.