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I think it's Nick Szabo. This is the article that convinced me: https://www.bitcoininsider.org/article/78686/i-designed-bitcoi-gold-many-facts-pointing-nick-bei

I think it's Nick Szabo. This is the article that convinced me: https://www.bitcoininsider.org/article/78686/i-designed-bitcoi-gold-many-facts-pointing-nick-being-satoshi https://www.bitcoininsider.org/article/78686/i-designed-bitc...

doopy1 5y ago
Nah, it was Paul Le Roux https://www.wired.com/story/was-bitcoin-created-by-this-international-drug-dealer-maybe/ https://www.wired.com/story/was-bitcoin-created-by-this-inte...
- programmarchy 5y ago
  It was also probably not one person, but a group.
  - qez 5y ago
    No, there is no reason to believe that.
    - robbedpeter 5y ago
      There is reason to disbelieve it. The text analyses that have been done point at Satoshi being an individual. Beyond that, if it were a group, they could have used someone as a spokesperson, but then you have a conspiracy of Satoshis, which is less possible. People, and especially geeks, like to talk. Someone would have tripped up by now, or moved bitcoin to fiat.
      - prawn 5y ago
        I agree that the group increases the risk of someone talking. Would having a spokesperson that knew the identity of group members be a significant risk once this amount of money is involved? It would surely motivate serious threats to the spokesperson and their family? By the time there was media interest in the identity of Satoshi, what would have been the value of their holding? Even then, whoever it is had to have held to their privacy even in advance of Bitcoin being worth incredible amounts of money.
      - Graffur 5y ago
        > People, and especially geeks, like to talk Is this backed up by anything?
      - im3w1l 5y ago
        Military / intelligence agency would not have tripped up. Their motivation could be promoting democracy (they did make Tor for this purpose after all) and/or money for black ops.
  - mirekrusin 5y ago
    We are all Satoshi Nakamotos.
- freyir 5y ago
  Seems a bit far-fetched that the guy creating Bitcoin was also building up a global criminal empire. I’m sure Paul is a very talented guy, but there are only so many hours in a day. The article’s author even admits it’s a stretch by the end of the article.
  - doopy1 5y ago
    I don't actually think he's Satoshi, I just think it's a great story.
- po1nt 5y ago
  John McAfee believed he tracked Satoshi down by analysing scientific papers
- kevinmchugh 5y ago
  The author of the Mastermind said he looked into this and found no evidence for it.
futurepast 5y ago
It's 100% Nick Szabo with Hal Finney's help. There's a non-zero chance that there's an NSA/IC employee who worked with them. Just based on the 1996 NSA paper "How to Make a Mint" and the potential that a government cryptocurrency is the ultimate solution for the inflation problem. Regulated stablecoins and/or a CBDC is the perfect way to disintermediate the banks from the dollar. Source: speculation but I was around before bitcoin
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- lottin 5y ago
  The "inflation problem" is not perceived as a problem by hardly anyone (certainly not by a government agency) since central banks around the world have shown that they are very capable of keeping inflation near the intended target. And the idea that the NSA thinks a cryptocurrency would be a solution to such a non-existent problem is even more bizarre.
  - mejutoco 5y ago
    If it leads to stagflation it might be a real problem, that definitely worries central banks. Several central banks around the world are working on digital currencies (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_bank_digital_currency https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_bank_digital_currency). These would unlock more complex measures than giving people money and hope for the best to activate the economy (people might just save the money). Things like giving money to spend only in certain things, or for a limited time might come into effect then.
    - aspenmayer 5y ago
      China’s CBDC already incorporates limited time balances, which were demonstrated with airdrops that had an expiration date. Flexa has partnered with various crypto projects and traditional business to offer crypto denominated coupons that have an expiration date as well. I’ll admit I’m bullish on crypto generally, but not like this. It may work for CBDCs, in that it will drive spending over saving to some degree, but I suspect they will be treated like radioactive hot potatoes. What’s to stop someone from selling their CBCD and simply buying a competing stablecoin that isn’t going to expire? Inflation can be both unpredictable and devastating; yet, predictable sudden devastating devaluation via expiration dates is held up as an improvement over the non-CBDC stablecoin status quo?
aero-glide2 5y ago
Does anyone know what happened to Nick Szabo? He was very active on twitter (33,000 tweets, a bit crazy). He suddenly stopped tweeting from March 2nd.
- drcode 5y ago
  Twitter isn't very functional for celebrities in the crypto space, due to the incessant spam. I bet he just got sick of it.
drcode 5y ago
Being a developer, and following Nick Szabo over the years, I just don't think he's enough of a coder mindset to have created Bitcoin. Maybe he could have made it by teaming up with someone else (Not disparaging Nick Szabo, he's super smart but not a coder at heart)

doopy1 5y ago

Nah, it was Paul Le Roux https://www.wired.com/story/was-bitcoin-created-by-this-international-drug-dealer-maybe/ https://www.wired.com/story/was-bitcoin-created-by-this-inte...

programmarchy 5y ago
It was also probably not one person, but a group.
- qez 5y ago
  No, there is no reason to believe that.
  - robbedpeter 5y ago
    There is reason to disbelieve it. The text analyses that have been done point at Satoshi being an individual. Beyond that, if it were a group, they could have used someone as a spokesperson, but then you have a conspiracy of Satoshis, which is less possible. People, and especially geeks, like to talk. Someone would have tripped up by now, or moved bitcoin to fiat.
    - prawn 5y ago
      I agree that the group increases the risk of someone talking. Would having a spokesperson that knew the identity of group members be a significant risk once this amount of money is involved? It would surely motivate serious threats to the spokesperson and their family? By the time there was media interest in the identity of Satoshi, what would have been the value of their holding? Even then, whoever it is had to have held to their privacy even in advance of Bitcoin being worth incredible amounts of money.
    - Graffur 5y ago
      > People, and especially geeks, like to talk Is this backed up by anything?
    - im3w1l 5y ago
      Military / intelligence agency would not have tripped up. Their motivation could be promoting democracy (they did make Tor for this purpose after all) and/or money for black ops.
- mirekrusin 5y ago
  We are all Satoshi Nakamotos.
freyir 5y ago
Seems a bit far-fetched that the guy creating Bitcoin was also building up a global criminal empire. I’m sure Paul is a very talented guy, but there are only so many hours in a day. The article’s author even admits it’s a stretch by the end of the article.
- doopy1 5y ago
  I don't actually think he's Satoshi, I just think it's a great story.
po1nt 5y ago
John McAfee believed he tracked Satoshi down by analysing scientific papers
kevinmchugh 5y ago
The author of the Mastermind said he looked into this and found no evidence for it.

futurepast 5y ago

It's 100% Nick Szabo with Hal Finney's help. There's a non-zero chance that there's an NSA/IC employee who worked with them. Just based on the 1996 NSA paper "How to Make a Mint" and the potential that a government cryptocurrency is the ultimate solution for the inflation problem. Regulated stablecoins and/or a CBDC is the perfect way to disintermediate the banks from the dollar. Source: speculation but I was around before bitcoin

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
lottin 5y ago
The "inflation problem" is not perceived as a problem by hardly anyone (certainly not by a government agency) since central banks around the world have shown that they are very capable of keeping inflation near the intended target. And the idea that the NSA thinks a cryptocurrency would be a solution to such a non-existent problem is even more bizarre.
- mejutoco 5y ago
  If it leads to stagflation it might be a real problem, that definitely worries central banks. Several central banks around the world are working on digital currencies (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_bank_digital_currency https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_bank_digital_currency). These would unlock more complex measures than giving people money and hope for the best to activate the economy (people might just save the money). Things like giving money to spend only in certain things, or for a limited time might come into effect then.
  - aspenmayer 5y ago
    China’s CBDC already incorporates limited time balances, which were demonstrated with airdrops that had an expiration date. Flexa has partnered with various crypto projects and traditional business to offer crypto denominated coupons that have an expiration date as well. I’ll admit I’m bullish on crypto generally, but not like this. It may work for CBDCs, in that it will drive spending over saving to some degree, but I suspect they will be treated like radioactive hot potatoes. What’s to stop someone from selling their CBCD and simply buying a competing stablecoin that isn’t going to expire? Inflation can be both unpredictable and devastating; yet, predictable sudden devastating devaluation via expiration dates is held up as an improvement over the non-CBDC stablecoin status quo?

aero-glide2 5y ago

Does anyone know what happened to Nick Szabo? He was very active on twitter (33,000 tweets, a bit crazy). He suddenly stopped tweeting from March 2nd.

drcode 5y ago
Twitter isn't very functional for celebrities in the crypto space, due to the incessant spam. I bet he just got sick of it.

drcode 5y ago

Being a developer, and following Nick Szabo over the years, I just don't think he's enough of a coder mindset to have created Bitcoin. Maybe he could have made it by teaming up with someone else (Not disparaging Nick Szabo, he's super smart but not a coder at heart)