Bitcoin’s elusive creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, has vaulted into the ranks of the world’s wealthiest individuals as Bitcoin surged past $120,000 on Sunday.
Blockchain analytics firm Arkham estimates Nakamoto holds roughly 1.096 million BTC spread across thousands of wallets, valued at over $132.8 billion at current prices. The staggering fortune theoretically places Nakamoto at 11th on Forbes’ billionaire list, overtaking tech magnate Michael Dell, whose net worth sits at $125.1 billion.
Balchunas highlighted the founder’s decision never to cash out, comparing Nakamoto to legendary investor Jack Bogle, who amassed a modest fortune despite revolutionizing the investment world. Compared to other large Bitcoin holders, Nakamoto’s stash is unmatched.
Analysts believe Nakamoto’s rise may continue. Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas predicted in early June that if Bitcoin maintains its typical 50% annual growth, Nakamoto could reach second place on the billionaire list by 2026.
Notable individual holders include the Winklevoss twins with around 70,000 BTC, venture capitalist Tim Draper with about 30,000 BTC purchased at a 2014 auction, and Michael Saylor, co-founder of Strategy, who reportedly holds close to 18,000 BTC privately. Despite Bitcoin’s historic climb, Nakamoto still trails behind the likes of Elon Musk, who leads the list with an estimated $404 billion fortune.
Corporations and custodians collectively hold about 847,000 BTC, or roughly 4% of Bitcoin’s capped supply.
The price leap would propel Nakamoto ahead of Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who hold fortunes of $274 billion each.
For Nakamoto to claim the top spot, Bitcoin would need to jump approximately 208% to around $370,000, assuming the wealth of other billionaires remains unchanged.
Analysts from Arkham Intelligence said the transaction may have been either an accidental exchange withdrawal or a deliberate tribute from an early Bitcoin supporter honoring Nakamoto.
Last month, an unknown wallet transferred $20,000 worth of Bitcoin to Nakamoto’s Genesis Block address, marking the largest movement to the Bitcoin creator’s wallet in four months.
Researchers have recently pointed to Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey as a potential candidate based on circumstantial evidence, while fraud claims by Craig Wright were dismissed in court.
The dormant wallets now hold approximately $117 billion in Bitcoin, untouched since Nakamoto vanished in 2011, and any significant movement from these addresses would likely cause major market upheaval.
