A new documentary sheds light on the identity of Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto. In recent months, more than a dozen early Bitcoin wallets have come back to life.
More than a dozen early bitcoin wallets have come back to life amid a new investigation into the identity of the network's pseudonymous founder, Satoshi Nakamoto.
In recent months, these wallets, which were first active on the network between 2009 and 2010, have moved a combined $35 million to new addresses and crypto exchanges.
Back then, Bitcoin was little more than a niche cypherpunk project relegated to Internet forums, shepherded by its troubled creator, Nakamoto.
Generally, such movements do not attract significant attention. It is not uncommon for older wallets to occasionally move Bitcoin.
But the increased frequency of wallet movements, along with the recent announcement of a new HBO documentary focusing on Nakamoto's identity, adds a new layer of intrigue.
Who is Satoshi?
The identity of Bitcoin's creator is one of the Internet's most enduring mysteries.
Many names have come forward over the years, from early Bitcoin contributors to late starters. Hal FinneySmart Contract Inventor Nick SzaboAnd an international drug dealer also called Paul Le Roux.
In March, the UK High Court ruled that Craig Wright, who has long claimed Nakamoto, was not the creator of Bitcoin, because there was no evidence to support it.
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Who — if anyone — will be coming to HBO is not yet known Documentary“Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery,” Nakamoto will pin.
Initial wallet movements
However, excited crypto pundits speculated that prior wallet movements could be linked to the information revealed in the documentary.
Since these wallets are active on the Bitcoin network, Some say They may have been among Satoshi's early collaborators.
On September 20, a group of five wallets Transferred 250 Bitcoin worth $15 million for new wallets combined. Those bitcoins can be traced back to 2009, when the owner of the wallets mined them.
A month earlier, another wallet with 250 bitcoins mined in 2010 was featured. This is the trick.
Separately, several smaller wallets that have been inactive for over a decade have transferred millions of dollars worth of bitcoins to new wallets and crypto exchanges. Kraken And BinanceIn recent months.
Other explanations
But there are other explanations for the early wallet movements.
Although many wallets mined Bitcoin in the early days of the network, they continued to transact after Nakamoto's last known message in April 2011.
Considering that other crypto wallets confirmed to belong to Nakamoto were not active after this point, those wallets may not belong to the creator of Bitcoin.
Another possibility is that some early bitcoin holders, who have been inactive for years, may now move their assets for various reasons, including potential release from legal or personal restrictions. However, there is no direct evidence linking these wallets to criminal activities.
At least 130 people Between 2013 and 2015, he was arrested in connection with the drug market where Bitcoin was the currency of choice. According to Bureau of Justice statistics, Average sentence Drug trafficking offenses carry between six and 15 years.
In 2023, the Department of Justice took over $54 million Crypto owned by Silk Road drug dealer Christopher Castelluzzo.
While serving a 20-year sentence, Castelluzzo spoke during recorded prison telephone calls about how he planned to launder his savings after his release, resulting in a seizure.
There was a huge number of people who mined Bitcoin in the early days, which makes it difficult to attribute the initial wallets to any one person.
Posts BitcointalkAn early forum for Bitcoin enthusiasts, between 2009 and 2010 shows that many people were mining Bitcoin.
People could still successfully mine Bitcoin using the average off-the-shelf computer until the mid-2010s.
“The Bitcoin Mystery” will air Wednesday, October 9 on HBO.
There is Tim Craig News' Edinburgh-based DeFi correspondent. Reach out with tips at [email protected].
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