Satoshi Nakamoto lost $43 billion as Bitcoin price dropped more than 30%

Satoshi Nakamoto's legendary Bitcoin fortune has fallen by about $41 billion, as BTC prices plunge more than 30% from All-Time-High.

The anonymous creator’s 1.1 million Bitcoins, tracked through the Patoshi mining model, have fallen from $138 billion in October to around $96 billion at the time of writing. This sharp decline has moved Satoshi from 11th place to around 20th place among the world’s richest people, just below Bill Gates.

BTC Price Drops Sharply, But What Happened to Satoshi's Bitcoins

Arkham Intelligence, a blockchain analytics firm, estimates Satoshi's Bitcoin using mining analysis and on- chain forensics.

The “Patoshi Pattern,” discovered by Sergio Lerner, identifies more than 22,000 early addresses likely controlled by an entity widely believed to be Satoshi Nakamoto . These coins, untouched for more than ten years, continue to generate intense speculation.

As of October 6, 2025, when the pioneer cryptocurrency reached All-Time-High of $126,296, Satoshi's Bitcoin treasury was valued at $138.92 billion. However, the Bitcoin price has since fallen more than 30% to trade at $87,390 at the time of writing.

With this drop, Satoshi's Bitcoin stash has dropped to $96.129 billion, meaning $42.79 billion of the asset has disappeared in a matter of weeks.

If Forbes included Satoshi on its list of the world's richest people, the Bitcoin founder would rank just below Bill Gates and just above Françoise Bettencourt Meyers & family at number 20.

Despite the sheer size of Satoshi's fortune, Forbes and other wealth tracking services do not include the Bitcoin founder in their official billionaire lists . Reasons include Satoshi's unverified legal status and the fact that the assets have been inactive, leaving questions of ownership unresolved.

“Forbes does not include Satoshi Nakamoto in our billionaire ranking because we cannot verify whether he or she is a living person, or a person with a group of people,” the magazine told BeInCrypto.

Ironically, Satoshi's coins remain among the most visible assets due to the transparency of the blockchain.

Some experts suggest that Forbes and others should XEM including pseudonymous cryptocurrency wallets on their lists, even though ownership is anonymous.

However, the prolonged inactivity has also led to speculation that the assets may have been lost, inaccessible or intentionally abandoned, an odd scenario for billionaires.

Quantum Threats and Satoshi's Secret

On the other hand, the emergence of quantum computers has reignited the debate about the future and potential identity of Satoshi. Because quantum computers could one day break the original Bitcoin encryption, some experts have proposed freezing Satoshi’s coins or forking the network before a possible “ Q-Day .” If these risks arise, the person controlling the coins may need to be exposed.

The mystery of Nakamoto will come to global audiences in 2026 with the film “ Killing Satoshi ,” a film that explores the mystery and geopolitical implications of the dormant Bitcoin asset.

Until these coins are moved or declared lost, Satoshi's fortune remains a symbol of Bitcoin's origins and its greatest secret.

If Bitcoin skyrockets to $320,000–$370,000, Satoshi could become the richest person in the world. Right now, the asset has been flat for over 15 years, and while it’s very visible, it’s untouched.