Who is Satoshi - but more importantly how would we know?

[shamoons]

So I get that Satoshi's identity isn't known and it MAY be a group of people and whatnot. But if Satoshi revealed himself today, how would we know that it was him? How can he prove that he's the creator of the almighty Bitcoin?

[Peter Todd]

PGP

[OnkelPaul]

Signing with the private key for the address where the block reward of one of the first blocks went - we know that only Satoshi could have mined them, so if someone has the private keys to that address, it's a pretty safe bet that he is Satoshi (unless Satoshi decided to give those keys to someone else, of course).

Onkel Paul

[Aldur1]

Will the real Satoishi please stand up.

[Stampbit]

Will the real Satoishi please stand up.

So the government can gun you down.

[piotr_n]

So I get that Satoshi's identity isn't known and it MAY be a group of people and whatnot. But if Satoshi revealed himself today, how would we know that it was him? How can he prove that he's the creator of the almighty Bitcoin?

All he needs to do is just spending the coinbase from the first block

[jackjack]

So I get that Satoshi's identity isn't known and it MAY be a group of people and whatnot. But if Satoshi revealed himself today, how would we know that it was him? How can he prove that he's the creator of the almighty Bitcoin?

All he needs to do is just spending the coinbase from the first block

Bitcoin-qt New network rules don't allow such spending.

[Pieter Wuille]

Bitcoin-qt doesn't allow such spending.

This sounds like it's a limitation of the client. It's a (potentially accidental) hard network rule that the genesis block output cannot be spent.

[melvster]

PGP

Keys can be stolen.

Genius cannot.

[jackjack]

Bitcoin-qt doesn't allow such spending.

This sounds like it's a limitation of the client. It's a (potentially accidental) hard network rule that the genesis block output cannot be spent.

That's what I read once. I didn't know that was a network rule.
Do you have a link I can read about it?

[Pieter Wuille]

Do you have a link I can read about it?

Any version of bitcoind/bitcoin-qt's source code.

The transaction in the genesis block isn't added to the database at initialization, so a lookup to spend it would fail.

Changing that would mean giving Satoshi a red button to hardfork the network :p

[AzureEngineer]

When I was but a little lad, my old Grandfather said
That none should wind the clock but he, and so, at time for bed,
He'd fumble for the curious key kept high upon the shelf
And set aside that little task entirely for himself.

In time Grandfather passed away, and so that duty fell
Unto my Father, who performed the weekly custom well;
He held that clocks were not to be by careless persons wound,
And he alone should turn the key or move the hands around.

I envied him that little task, and wished that I might be
The one to be entrusted with the turning of the key;
But year by year the clock was his exclusive bit of care
Until the day the angels came and smoothed his silver hair.

To-day the task is mine to do, like those who've gone before
I am a jealous guardian of that round and glassy door,
And 'til at my chamber door God's messenger shall knock
To me alone shall be reserved the right to wind the clock.

[jackjack]

I meant why is it this way? Is it from the beginning or did something happen?
I'm pretty sure he wouldn't do this. But I trust the man(men?), not his OS, HDD, etc...

[Pieter Wuille]

I meant why is it this way? Is it from the beginning or did something happen?

It's not known whether it's a bug or intentional, but every code version behaved that way, so it can't just be changed.

[BitcoinFX]

So I get that Satoshi's identity isn't known and it MAY be a group of people and whatnot. But if Satoshi revealed himself today, how would we know that it was him? How can he prove that he's the creator of the almighty Bitcoin?

I'd imagine that you might require more than 5 keys (maybe an 8 min. consensus) to unlock a single key ?

If so, the key holders probably put in all sorts of conditions and agreements to unlock the keys. They might not even know every holder themselves !?

Or perhaps just one individual does have all the keys. No way of ever knowing really I suppose.

*Yawns* https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=206630.0

Automatic for the people ?   

[BitcoinFX]

I meant why is it this way? Is it from the beginning or did something happen?

It's not known whether it's a bug or intentional, but every code version behaved that way, so it can't just be changed.

The "Block Lock"

*coughs*

[theymos]

https://bitcointalk.org/Satoshi_Nakamoto.asc