Satoshi Nakamoto has turned 50 years old, but who exactly is this mysterious person? The mystery of Bitcoin's founder's identity

April 5, 2025, a special day: according to records, Bitcoin’s creator Satoshi Nakamoto is theoretically turning 50 years old. But who exactly is this person? Why has he never appeared in public?

When it comes to Bitcoin’s influence, there’s really no doubt—this digital currency has reshaped the global financial landscape, setting a new all-time high of over $109,000 earlier this year. But ironically, the person who created it disappeared completely after 2011, as if vaporized into thin air.

Satoshi Nakamoto is More Than an Individual, More Like a Legendary Symbol

Satoshi Nakamoto first appeared on October 31, 2008. On that day, a mysterious person claiming to be 37 years old and living in Japan published a 9-page white paper titled: “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System.” The document was posted on a cryptography mailing list, and it changed the world.

This white paper solved a long-standing problem in digital currency—double spending. Previous digital currency schemes had been stuck here, but Nakamoto combined proof-of-work mechanisms with a decentralized network, finally cracking it.

On January 3, 2009, Nakamoto mined the first Bitcoin block—the “genesis block.” Interestingly, this block contained a message: “The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks.” This was a headline from The Times, hinting at Nakamoto’s original motivation: a protest against traditional banking systems.

That Birthday Hides a Hidden Meaning

April 5th may seem like an arbitrary date, but it’s actually symbolic of two important historical events:

On April 5, 1933, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 6102, prohibiting Americans from holding gold. It wasn’t until 1975 that this ban was lifted, and Americans regained the right to own gold.

Nakamoto set his birthday as “April 5, 1975,” which suggests what? He views Bitcoin as digital gold, a store of value beyond government control. This reveals Nakamoto’s libertarian tendencies.

Interestingly, linguists analyzing Nakamoto’s writing style found that he used British English (e.g., “colour” instead of “color”) and often ended sentences with double spaces—an old typing habit from the 1970s. This indicates he might be much older than claimed, possibly in his 60s.

The Wealth Mystery: How Much Money Is Enough to Disappear?

By analyzing blockchain data, researchers estimate Nakamoto mined between 750,000 and 1.1 million bitcoins in the first year of Bitcoin’s existence. At the April 2025 price (~$85,000 per BTC), this wealth amounts to $63.8 billion to $93.5 billion, enough to rank among the top 20 richest people in the world.

But here’s the craziest part: not a single satoshi has been moved.

Since 2011, all Bitcoin addresses associated with Nakamoto have been inactive. No one has moved these coins, no one has tried to sell them—nothing. What would happen if Nakamoto suddenly moved this wealth? No one dares to imagine.

There are several theories about this “sleeping” wealth:

• Nakamoto has died
• He lost the private keys and can no longer access these coins
• He deliberately left this wealth as a gift to the Bitcoin community
• He is still alive but intentionally keeps these coins untouched to avoid revealing his identity

Who Is That Person? The Top Five Suspects

Since Nakamoto has not come forward, only guesses remain. The cryptography community and crypto circles have proposed several of the most likely candidates:

Hal Finney (1956-2014)

• Cryptography expert, one of Bitcoin’s earliest supporters
• Received the first Bitcoin transaction from Nakamoto
• Lived in California, very close to another suspect—Dorian Nakamoto
• But he denied being Nakamoto before dying of ALS in 2014

Nick Szabo

• Computer scientist, proposed the concept of “bit gold” as early as 1998
• Linguistic analysis shows his writing style is strikingly similar to Nakamoto’s
• Deep understanding of monetary theory, cryptography, and smart contracts perfectly fits Bitcoin’s design
• He has repeatedly denied: “I’m afraid you’ll dox me and mistake me for Nakamoto, but I’ve gotten used to it.”

Adam Back

• Created Hashcash technology (mentioned in Bitcoin white paper)
• One of Nakamoto’s early contacts
• Has all the necessary cryptographic knowledge
• Charles Hoskinson, founder of Cardano, has said Back is the most likely candidate

Peter Todd

• Early Bitcoin developer
• The 2024 HBO documentary “The Secret of Bitcoin” points to him
• Based on chat logs and his technical comments
• Todd himself dismisses these claims as “ridiculous” and “straw-grasping”

Craig Wright

• Australian computer scientist who recently claimed publicly to be Nakamoto
• Even registered the copyright for the Bitcoin white paper
• But in March 2024, the High Court of the UK explicitly ruled that “Dr. Wright is not the author of the Bitcoin white paper”
• The court found all his submitted evidence to be forged

Why Is Anonymity So Important?

Nakamoto’s disappearance isn’t just about personal privacy; it’s central to Bitcoin’s design.

What if Nakamoto had maintained a public persona? Governments might pressure, threaten, or even arrest him. Hackers and criminals could kidnap him. Every word he said would be amplified and interpreted by the market, potentially causing wild price swings. Most importantly, Bitcoin would lose its “decentralized” soul—it would become “Nakamoto’s Bitcoin,” not “everyone’s Bitcoin.”

Nakamoto’s anonymity embodies Bitcoin’s fundamental philosophy: trust in code and mathematics, not in any individual or institution. That’s what sets Bitcoin apart from traditional financial systems.

Cultural Impact: From Statues to Sneakers

Although Nakamoto himself has disappeared, his legend continues to grow louder.

In 2021, a bronze bust of Nakamoto was erected in Budapest, with a reflective material on the face—symbolizing “We are all Nakamoto.” There’s also a statue in Lugano, Switzerland.

In March 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing a Bitcoin strategic reserve. It was unimaginable over a decade ago—Bitcoin has gone from underground experiment to national asset.

Famous brand Vans launched a “Nakamoto” limited edition sneaker series in 2022. Clothes, hats with Nakamoto’s name are everywhere. This vanished figure has become a cultural icon.

The Power of the White Paper

That 9-page white paper from 2008 changed everything. It’s not just a technical document; it’s a declaration—a statement that a financial system without banks or central authorities is possible.

This document inspired thousands of developers. Ethereum, Solana, and other smart contract platforms are based on Bitcoin’s principles. Central banks worldwide are even researching their own digital currencies.

Nakamoto’s influence has transcended technology and finance, becoming a spirit—an eternal longing for monetary freedom, financial independence, and distrust of power.

Finally, an Unsolvable Mystery

When Nakamoto sent his last email to Bitcoin core developer Gavin Andresen in April 2011, he said: “I hope you stop treating me as a mysterious behind-the-scenes figure. The media will just turn this into a pirate currency story.”

Then he disappeared.

To this day, no one knows if he’s alive or dead, an individual or a team, where he lives, or what his real name is. But what he created remains, and it’s growing stronger—this in itself is the greatest legend.

And those 750,000 to 1.1 million bitcoins? They still sleep there, waiting for a moment that may never come.