A mysterious transfer of $8.6 billion worth of early-mined bitcoin has reignited speculation about the true identity of bitcoin’s creator, known only as Satoshi Nakamoto.
On Friday, eight bitcoin wallets—each holding 10,000 bitcoins mined during bitcoin’s earliest days—moved their holdings to new addresses. These wallets are believed to be from the so-called “Satoshi era,” but the owner remains unknown. Experts suggest the transfer may be a security move to protect the coins from future threats, such as quantum computing.
The timing of this massive transfer has coincided with the recent reappearance of Arthur Britto, a cofounder of Ripple’s XRP, who broke a 14-year silence on social media with a cryptic emoji post. Britto is a mysterious figure in the crypto world with no public photographs or interviews, adding to the intrigue.
Some crypto fans speculate Britto—or other Ripple founders like David Schwartz—might secretly be Satoshi Nakamoto. Schwartz has denied these claims but called such theories “plausible.” Others have speculated the wallets could belong to Roger Ver, an early bitcoin investor known as “Bitcoin Jesus,” though this remains unconfirmed.
Satoshi Nakamoto’s true identity has long been a subject of global mystery and debate. Over the years, various figures—including Hal Finney, Elon Musk, and Jack Dorsey—have been suggested as candidates, but none have been proven to be Nakamoto.
The recent bitcoin price surge and this record transfer have further fueled interest and conspiracy theories surrounding the world’s richest and most elusive cryptocurrency founder.
