How many bitcoins does the mysterious billionaire Satoshi Nakamoto own? The wealth mystery surpasses Bill Gates

In May 2025, as Bitcoin hit a new high, the cryptocurrency world sparked a heated debate about the mysterious founder Сатоши Накамото’s wealth. According to on-chain data analysis platform Arkham, the Bitcoin holdings of this anonymous developer have propelled him to the 11th spot on the global billionaire list, surpassing the wealth of former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates. The question of how many Bitcoins Сатоши Накамото owns has become an everlasting hot topic in the crypto community.

Million-Bitcoin Empire: Сатоши Накамото’s Mining Legend

Сатоши Накамото, the mysterious creator of Bitcoin, is the first Bitcoin miner in human history. In early 2009, the reward for each mined block was 50 BTC. According to multiple studies, from January to July 2009, a critical period, Сатоши mined over one million Bitcoins.

This achievement made him the most successful miner in Bitcoin history, a record that remains unmatched. Interestingly, there is a theory circulating in the crypto community—that Сатоши may have mined even more Bitcoins but intentionally limited his mining activity. He controlled the hash rate to leave room for other miners to profit, demonstrating his dedication to fairness and decentralization in the network.

Patoshi Model: Scientifically Tracking Сатоши Накамото’s Bitcoin Footprint

Regarding how many Bitcoins Сатоши Накамото owns, renowned cryptography expert and security researcher Sergio Demian Lerner may have provided the most scientific answer. In his academic report, “The Wealth That Bitcoin Creator Сатоши Накамото Deserves: A Story of a Visionary and a Genius,” Lerner analyzed all blocks mined from January 1, 2009, to January 25, 2010, specifically blocks 1 through 36,288.

By studying the mining patterns of these blocks, Lerner discovered that a single mining operation mined thousands of blocks during this period and earned about 1 million BTC in rewards. To describe this unique mining pattern, Lerner coined the term “Patoshi Model.” Since this pattern started from the genesis block, he inferred that Patoshi—the distinctive mining signature—likely represents the mining traces of Сатоши Накамото himself.

Why Haven’t These Bitcoins Been Moved Yet?

This mysterious developer disappeared from the public eye after 2010. For over 15 years, the crypto community has been trying to crack the mystery of Сатоши Накамото’s true identity but has yet to succeed. No one can confirm whether the founder is still alive or what plans he might have for his holdings.

The intrigue lies in the fact that these 1 million Bitcoins have never been moved since 2010. This silence itself has become the greatest mystery. The crypto community holds diverse and interesting views: many believe Сатоши has passed away, and these Bitcoins may forever remain “ghost coins”; others think he is still alive, patiently waiting for the right moment.

$12 Billion Wealth: Ranked 11th Among Global Billionaires

According to the latest data from Arkham, Сатоши Накамото’s 1.096 million Bitcoins are worth approximately $12.04 billion, representing 5.2% of the total circulating supply of Bitcoin. To put this into perspective, MicroStrategy, a publicly traded company known for actively acquiring BTC, has been steadily increasing its Bitcoin reserves since August 2020, but its holdings account for only 2.763% of the total supply—far less than Сатоши’s stash.

Arkham’s analysis indicates that such a wealth scale places Сатоши Накамото at the 11th position on the global billionaire list. In comparison, Bill Gates’ personal wealth is about $115 billion—meaning a mysterious Bitcoin founder’s assets have surpassed that of this Silicon Valley legend.

If Сатоши ever decides to sell these Bitcoins, the crypto market could face a potentially catastrophic shock. Prices might experience extreme volatility or even a crash. However, most crypto enthusiasts are not worried. Their reasoning is simple: based on existing evidence and reasoning, Сатоши has long been presumed deceased, so these Bitcoins are unlikely to ever enter the market. Nonetheless, some optimists still believe the founder is alive somewhere.

According to a personal profile, Сатоши Накамото was born on April 5, 1975, in Japan. If this information is accurate, he would be 50 years old in 2025. There are also less mainstream theories claiming that the so-called Сатоши does not exist at all—conspiracy theorists argue that Bitcoin was actually created by government regulators. However, these views lack sufficient support within the mainstream crypto community.

The debate over how many Bitcoins Сатоши Накамото owns continues, and the true identity and purpose of this mysterious figure may remain one of the deepest enigmas in the crypto world forever.