Bitcoin's origin story remains shrouded in mystery, as the name Satoshi Nakamoto, used by an unknown person or even group of individuals, still carries the weight of 'who is it?'
Many Bitcoin fans obsess over the question 'who is Satoshi Nakamoto' and point to various names in the cryptocurrency business. Indeed, the person who invented Bitcoin remains anonymous despite the fortune that Bitcoin gave him (or her, or them). According to Forbes magazine, Satoshi Nakamoto is worth $19.4 billion and is the 44th wealthiest person in the world.
Many people believe that it's Nick Szabo, as his paper on 'Bit Gold' was the precursor to the first cryptocurrency. Also, Skye Grey, an online researcher, found dozens of unique phrases that linked Szabo's writing style to the famous White Paper where Nakamoto wrote the Bitcoin code. Others say that it was Nakamoto who inspired himself with the Bit Gold paper and that Nick Szabo is merely a decentralised currency enthusiast.
The second candidate is Dorian Prentice Satoshi Nakamoto. Newsweek journalist Learn McGrath Goodman pointed to him based on a response to a question regarding Bitcoin he once gave: "I am no longer involved in that, and I cannot discuss it. It's been turned over to the people. They are in charge of it now. I no longer have any connection." However, in a later interview, he denied any involvement in Bitcoin, explaining that he misunderstood the reporter's question. Nakamoto believed that the reporter asked him about his past classified military work.
A famous Netflix documentary, "Banking on Bitcoin", addressed the question with thorough analysis pointing to Hal Finney among others. Our third potential candidate was a pre-Bitcoin cryptographic pioneer and was only the second person to make use of the software. Moreover, he was the recipient of the first Bitcoin transaction. Sadly, Hal Finney passed in August 2014, and at the time of his death, only circumstantial evidence pointed to him as the original Satoshi. Nevertheless, the fact that he lived just a few blocks from Dorian Prentice Satoshi Nakamoto, and that he exchanged correspondence with Nick Szabo, makes him the inventor of Bitcoin in the eyes of many cryptocurrency enthusiasts.
Fourth and last among potential candidates is Craig Wright. This Australian academic came forward as the inventor of Bitcoin, yet retracted from his statement, claiming that he lacked the courage to prove his identity.
The mystery remains unsolved. All the contenders have an interesting background and have been involved with cryptocurrencies in one way or another. Some point to single names, while others believe that it was the collective work of all the above-mentioned candidates. We can speculate, but we hope that one day the real Satoshi Nakamoto's identity will be revealed.
