Author: Brayden Lindrea, CoinTelegraph; Compiled by Wu Zhu, Jinse Finance
Researchers have proposed a new theory about Satoshi Nakamoto - the creator of Bitcoin has never slept and has been strategically cashing out from early Bitcoin wallets since then.
In an article on November 19, Bitcoin research company BTCparser stated that a batch of Bitcoin wallet addresses were created in 2010, each holding 50 Bitcoins, until they were moved for the first time in November 2019 (which they call the "2010 whale").
BTCparser's theory suggests that Satoshi Nakamoto owns these wallets and has been gradually selling the Bitcoins in them, while deliberately leaving the 2009 wallets aside to avoid drawing attention.
BTCparser said in a post on November 19: "This makes me suspect that the mysterious 2010 whale may actually be Satoshi Nakamoto." However, BTCparser added that this is still a "theory, not a conclusion".
Source: Vladimir S
BTCparser said that if Satoshi Nakamoto is the mastermind behind these 2010 wallets, then "this paints a picture of a carefully planned creator to ensure his privacy".
"If Satoshi can access the Bitcoin treasure trove minted in 2010, there is no need to touch the original 2009 wallets. Using these later Bitcoins can avoid drawing attention to the original hiding place, maintaining anonymity and reducing the risk of exposing Satoshi's identity."
How the funds were liquidated
These funds were consolidated into a P2SH address, typically used for custody, and then sent to multiple bech32 addresses - a type of address that provides lower transaction fees and more efficient use of block space.
In November 2019, these addresses first sold $5 million worth of Bitcoin, followed by $6 million to $8 million and $11 million to $13 million in transactions in March and October 2020 respectively.
The fourth sale was a $176 million liquidation 10 days ago on November 15.
"The growing sales volume in line with the rising value of Bitcoin indicates that this whale has been strategically cashing out."
BTCparser said that unless the whale is operating through an intermediary, the cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, where these Bitcoins are stored, may know more about the individual or entity behind these transactions.
In October, a controversial HBO documentary claimed that Bitcoin cypherpunk Peter Todd invented Bitcoin.
Todd refuted this conclusion, and most industry experts said the evidence presented by HBO was quite weak.
The names of Nick Szabo, Adam Back, and Hal Finney have all been associated with the identity of Satoshi Nakamoto.
Szabo and Back have often denied the claims that they are Satoshi Nakamoto, and Finney did the same before his death in 2013.
