New York – Satoshi Nakamoto, the elusive figure behind the creation of Bitcoin, has officially joined the ranks of the world’s wealthiest individuals—without ever moving a single coin. According to blockchain analytics firm Arkham, Nakamoto’s early-mined stash of 1.096 million BTC is now valued at an estimated $129 billion, following Bitcoin’s recent surge past $122,000.
This valuation places Nakamoto at the 11th position on a hypothetical global wealth list, just ahead of Dell Technologies founder Michael Dell and Walmart heir Rob Walton. While not yet recognized by Forbes due to its exclusion of crypto wallet holdings from official rankings, Nakamoto’s net worth now surpasses many legacy billionaires.
All of Nakamoto’s BTC is believed to have been mined in the earliest days of Bitcoin, when the network could be operated by a single computer. None of these coins have been moved since their creation, further deepening speculation around Nakamoto’s motives and identity—whether individual or collective.
Despite the pseudonymous nature of the holdings, analysts believe the impact of such wealth is more than symbolic. “This is not just a historical curiosity,” said Arkham in its analysis. “It’s a measure of the latent influence one entity can wield within the crypto economy, even without any public appearance or transaction.”
Could Satoshi Become the World’s Richest?
According to Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas, the potential trajectory of Bitcoin could place Nakamoto among the world’s top three richest people by late 2026—possibly second only to Elon Musk. In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), Balchunas pointed out that if Bitcoin maintains an annual growth rate of 50%, Nakamoto’s wealth could soon eclipse that of tech titans like Mark Zuckerberg and Larry Ellison.
Other crypto figures share this bullish view. BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes predicts Bitcoin could reach $250,000 by the end of 2025. Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan sees the price reaching $200,000 in the same timeframe, citing rising institutional adoption and finite supply as key drivers.
A Unique Position in the Market
Despite the rise of Bitcoin “whales,” no entity comes close to Nakamoto’s holdings. While large corporate and custodial wallets collectively manage approximately 847,000 BTC, individual investors such as the Winklevoss twins (70,000 BTC) and venture capitalist Tim Draper (30,000 BTC) fall far behind. Even outspoken Bitcoin advocate Michael Saylor holds just 17,732 BTC personally.
With 1.096 million BTC—approximately 5% of Bitcoin’s maximum supply—Nakamoto’s dormant fortune is both a symbol of the network’s history and a wildcard for its future.
As long as the coins remain untouched, the intrigue will persist. Yet the implications of their potential activation—whether economic, technological, or psychological—continue to cast a long shadow over the cryptocurrency landscape.
