Bitcoin’s anonymous creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, has become the world’s 12th richest person, according to new estimates from blockchain analytics firm Arkham.
Nakamoto’s estimated holdings of 1.096 million BTC are currently valued at approximately $129 billion, amid Bitcoin’s recent price surge.
Despite the massive fortune, Nakamoto’s identity remains unknown — making this one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in financial history.
Anonymity Behind Billions
Satoshi Nakamoto introduced Bitcoin in a white paper published in 2008 and was active in the project until 2011. Since then, no confirmed communications or transactions have come from Nakamoto. The 1.09 million bitcoins, mined in Bitcoin’s early days, remain untouched.
Multiple individuals have been suspected to be Nakamoto — including computer scientists like Nick Szabo, Hal Finney, and Craig Wright — but none have been definitively proven. A UK court recently ruled that Craig Wright could not claim to be Satoshi without clear evidence.
“The coins have never moved. It’s likely Satoshi intended Bitcoin to be bigger than any one person,” said CoinDesk analyst Jake Simmons.
Now Among the World’s Richest
At a Bitcoin price of roughly $118,000 per coin, Nakamoto’s estimated net worth places them above tech giants like Michael Dell and Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, according to tracking by Arkham Intelligence and reported by NDTV, Cointelegraph, and Coindesk.
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If Bitcoin’s upward trend continues, some analysts believe Nakamoto’s wealth could surpass $200 billion, potentially making them the second-richest person in the world — behind Elon Musk, whose wealth exceeds $400 billion.
However, Nakamoto does not appear on traditional billionaire lists like Forbes, as those require identity confirmation and publicly declared assets.
Why It Matters
Nakamoto’s anonymity has helped shape Bitcoin’s decentralized philosophy — no leader, no central authority. But it also raises questions of power concentration. If the coins were ever moved or sold, they could have a significant impact on the global crypto markets.
“The untouched wealth is both a symbol of trust and a ticking time bomb,” said blockchain expert Maria Fernandez from NYU.
The mystery has even entered pop culture. A statue of Satoshi Nakamoto stands in Budapest, Hungary, and documentaries such as HBO’s “Money Electric” continue to explore the legend.