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Copyright © 2024 CGTN. 京ICP备20000184号
Disinformation report hotline: 010-85061466
WATCH: The Big Bitcoin Mystery
Satoshi Nakamoto is back in the news.
Perhaps that's not surprising - after all, Nakamoto did invent Bitcoin, the world's most popular digital currency. But nobody seems to know who Nakamoto actually is.
We do know who Nakamoto is not - at least, legally speaking.
London's High Court issued a landmark ruling last week, saying there was "overwhelming" evidence that Australian computer scientist Craig Wright did not invent Bitcoin. But Nakamoto's identity remains a mystery, nearly 16 years after the name was first linked to Bitcoin.
So what do we know - and what do we not know?
How do we know Satoshi Nakamoto created Bitcoin?
A person, or group of people, using the name 'Satoshi Nakamoto' wrote a Bitcoin concept document in 2008. That document paved the way for the digital currency, which is now worth around $65,000 per unit. There is also evidence that Nakamoto transferred the first Bitcoin.
A man wearing a Guy Fawkes mask looks at a statue in honor of Satoshi Nakamoto, erected in Budapest, Hungary. /Bela Szandelszky/AP
Is Satoshi Nakamoto alive?
It's not clear. Someone using the 'Satoshi Nakamoto' account posted on an online forum in 2014. This was the same account that 'Nakamoto' used in the early days of Bitcoin. There have been no other posts from the account over the last 10 years.
What is Satoshi Nakamoto's net worth?
Reports suggest Nakamoto may have one million Bitcoin. That would equate to around $65 billion, if he/she does in fact own that amount.
A robot-like bull statue - influenced by the famous bull statue on New York's Wall Street - stands outside a digital currency convention in Miami in 2022. /Wilfredo Lee/AP
What about Nakamoto's digital wallet?
Bitcoin investors use 'digital wallets' to store the currency and facilitate trades. There has been widespread speculation about wallets linked to Nakamoto.
Forbes reported earlier this year that someone deposited Bitcoin worth just over $1 million in 'Genesis', one of the first-ever digital wallets. Nakamoto apparently used the wallet in the early days of Bitcoin.
There have been no other reports of transfers involving wallets linked directly to Nakamoto. It's important to note, however, that Nakamoto may own wallets that are not under that name.
Who is Dorian Nakamoto?
Newsweek magazine claimed Dorian Nakamoto was 'the face behind Bitcoin' in 2014. Nakamoto was 64 years old and living in Los Angeles when Newsweek published its article.
Nakamoto strongly denied that he had anything to do with the digital currency, saying the connection had caused stress to him and his family. He subsequently received crowdfunded donations in Bitcoin from sympathetic crypto investors.
The last post by 'Satoshi Nakamoto' was a five-word sentence: "I am not Dorian Nakamoto." It was written the day after the Newsweek article was released.
Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk has dismissed claims that he invented Bitcoin /AP/Ebrahim Noroozi
Is Satoshi Nakamoto actually Elon Musk?
Former SpaceX intern Sahil Gupta claimed that Musk was probably Satoshi Nakamoto. Gupta says he worked for Musk's space company in 2015. He argued that Musk had the technical ability to create a digital currency.
He also claimed there were several instances where Musk's language appeared similar to that used in the 'Nakamoto' posts.
Musk denied the claim in late 2017.
Australian Craig Wright went to court after claiming he owned the rights to Bitcoin. /Toby Melville/Reuters
Why does Craig Wright say he is Nakamoto?
Craig Wright is a 54-year-old computer scientist who claims to be Nakamoto.
Wright says he used 'Satoshi Nakamoto' as a pen name when he wrote the concept document in 2008. He argues that he owns the intellectual property behind Bitcoin, and has filed several lawsuits against developers.
The Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) took Wright to court, saying it wanted to ensure Bitcoin's technology remained 'open source', or freely available to the public.
COPA's lawyers claimed Wright had forged several documents in an attempt to convince the court that he was Nakamoto. Judge James Mellor ruled there was clear evidence that he was not the author of the 2008 concept document.
Bitcoin's value climbed above $70,000 in early March before dropping to around $65,000 this week. /Dado Ruvic/Reuters Illustration
Do we know Nakamoto is a man?
No. Nakamoto may be a man, woman or group of people.
Why is Bitcoin worth so much right now?
Bitcoin's value has surged over the last year, climbing 130 percent. That's partly because financial regulators have signalled that it can trade, to some extent, as a mainstream asset.
U.S. regulators gave approval for several exchange-traded funds linked to Bitcoin in early January. The price of one Bitcoin was around $45,000 when officials made the announcement. It is now worth nearly $65,000 - that's an increase of 40 percent in just over two months.
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