Wie is Satoshi Nakamoto? De bitcoin -maker is nooit gezien

5 months ago

Mon, Aug 4, 2025, 4:56 PM 6 min read

If you've spent any time reading about Bitcoin, you've likely come across the name Satoshi Nakamoto. But who is Satoshi Nakamoto, really? The short answer is: no one knows. Despite launching the most revolutionary financial technology of the modern era, Nakamoto remains a complete mystery. This pseudonymous figure—or possibly group of people—is credited with inventing Bitcoin, publishing its original whitepaper in 2008 and launching the Bitcoin network in early 2009. Then, just as suddenly as they arrived, Nakamoto vanished. They stopped posting publicly in 2010, handed over the keys to other developers, and never touched the 1.1 million bitcoins they're believed to own. To this day, those coins remain untouched, making Satoshi not just one of the wealthiest people on the planet (at least on paper), but also one of the most enigmatic.

Everything began with a nine-page document titled "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System." Released to a small cryptography mailing list on October 31, 2008, the whitepaper outlined a bold new vision: a decentralized digital currency that didn't require banks, governments, or middlemen to function. At the heart of this idea was the blockchain, a distributed ledger that solved the "double-spending problem" by making every transaction publicly verifiable and permanently recorded. It wasn't just a novel concept—it was a direct response to the failings of traditional finance in the wake of the 2008 economic crisis. By January 3, 2009, Nakamoto had mined the first block of Bitcoin—known as the genesis block—and the network officially went live. The message embedded in that first block ("The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks") made it clear this was about more than just code. It was a political statement.

Don’t Miss:

New to crypto? Get up to $400 in rewards for successfully completing short educational courses and making your first qualifying trade on Coinbase.
A must-have for all crypto enthusiasts: Sign up for the Gemini Credit Card today and earn rewards on Bitcoin Ether, or 60+ other tokens, with every purchase.

From early 2009 through late 2010, Satoshi Nakamoto was not only active, but incredibly hands-on. He released the first version of the Bitcoin software, communicated with early adopters via emails and online forums, reviewed code contributions, and even managed the project's domain names and repositories. He was polite, technical, and deeply focused on Bitcoin's mission—but never revealed anything personal. No face. No voice. No name beyond "Satoshi Nakamoto." He responded to questions, explained design decisions, and welcomed feedback, but kept the focus strictly on the technology. Then, just as quietly as he arrived, Nakamoto stepped away. By the end of 2010, his public activity ceased. In April 2011, he sent a final email to developer Gavin Andresen, saying simply, "I've moved on to other things." And with that, Satoshi Nakamoto disappeared—for good.