Bitcoin’s Enigmatic Creator Satoshi Nakamoto May Now Be Wealthier Than Bill Gates

New research estimates Nakamoto’s Bitcoin holdings exceed $108 billion.

Satoshi Nakamoto, the elusive creator of Bitcoin, may have quietly surpassed Bill Gates in net worth, according to groundbreaking onchain research. The pseudonymous figure behind the world’s largest cryptocurrency is now estimated to hold over 1.096 million Bitcoin, currently valued at more than $108 billion. This staggering sum places Nakamoto ahead of Gates, whose net worth stands at approximately $106 billion, according to Forbes’ latest rankings.

The revelation comes from Conor Grogan, director at Coinbase, who shared new findings from Arkham Intelligence on social media platform X. “In total, this research points to Satoshi owning 1.096M BTC, $108B worth, making them wealthier on paper than Bill Gates,” Grogan noted in his February 5 post.

The analysis identifies additional Bitcoin addresses potentially linked to Nakamoto, bolstering previous estimates of the Bitcoin creator’s holdings. If accurate, this would position Nakamoto as the world’s 16th richest person, surpassing prominent tech moguls and financial giants.

While Nakamoto’s identity remains shrouded in mystery, some believe centralized exchanges like Kraken might hold clues. Grogan pointed out that Nakamoto’s last known transactions with a centralized exchange occurred through Cavirtex, a Canadian platform acquired by Kraken in 2016. “CaVirtEx was purchased by Kraken in 2016. As such, there is a chance that @jespow [Kraken’s co-founder Jesse Powell] has information on the true identity behind Satoshi if they maintained any KYC information on this wallet,” Grogan suggested, before adding, “My advice to him would be to delete the data.”

However, the likelihood of uncovering Nakamoto’s identity through these records is slim. At the time of the transactions, Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols were not consistently enforced in the crypto industry. Kraken was one of the earliest exchanges to implement KYC in 2014, but widespread adoption of such measures only became standard in 2017 and 2018. There are no existing records indicating that Cavirtex required KYC verification prior to its acquisition by Kraken.

Nakamoto’s Bitcoin holdings have remained untouched since they were mined in Bitcoin’s early days, further deepening the intrigue surrounding their identity. Despite the massive fortune, Nakamoto’s silence and lack of activity have fueled countless theories—ranging from speculation about whether Nakamoto is an individual, a group, or even a government entity.

As Bitcoin continues to surge in value, Nakamoto’s theoretical wealth underscores the transformative power of cryptocurrency. Yet, the enigma remains: while Nakamoto may be one of the wealthiest entities on the planet, their true identity—and whether they’ll ever claim their fortune—remains one of the greatest mysteries in financial history.

photo source / Blockonome