Satoshi Moving on to Other Things

[butka]

In the book "Digital Gold: Bitcoin and the Inside Story of the Misfits and Millionaires Trying to Reinvent Money", its author (Nathaniel Popper) quotes a couple of emails sent by Satoshi to other members of the early Bitcoin community. This was apparently right before his disappearance from the forum. Here is the excerpt:

The author of the Bitcoin software hadn’t posted to the forums since December, but he had continued to e-mail with a select number of developers, including Gavin, Martti, and Mike Hearn, a Google programmer in Switzerland, who got drawn into the project after the WikiLeaks blockade. In late April Hearn politely asked how involved Satoshi intended to be moving forward.

“Are you planning on rejoining the community at some point (e.g. for code reviews), or is your plan to permanently step back from the limelight?” he asked.

“I’ve moved on to other things,” Satoshi wrote back. “It’s in good hands with Gavin and everyone.”
[...]
Satoshi’s final e-mails went to Martti, whom Satoshi asked to take full ownership of the Bitcoin.org website.

“I’ve moved on to other things and probably won’t be around in the future,” Satoshi wrote to Martti, in early May, before transferring the site to Martti and disappearing into the ether.

[emphasis mine]

Source: https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Gold-Bitcoin-Millionaires-Reinvent/dp/006236250X

I couldn't help noticing that Satoshi announced that "he had moved on to other things" on two different occasions.

What do you think these other things could be? From the context, it sounds these things are unrelated to Bitcoin. Maybe he was working on other projects where programming skills were needed.
This can also be interpreted as Satoshi being more or less satisfied with the development of Bitcoin and confident in its intended future.

I know that this is very speculative and impossible to know with certainty, but I would like to hear your opinion.

[1715693403]

1715693403

[1715693403]

1715693403

[1715693403]

1715693403

[1715693403]

1715693403

[1715693403]

1715693403

[1715693403]

1715693403

[DannyHamilton]

What do you think these other things could be?

I generally assume he was moving on to battle an illness, and that he lost the battle and died.

[BitcoinFX]

What do you think these other things could be?

I generally assume he was moving on to battle an illness, and that he lost the battle and died.

This ^ and/or the highly lightly possibility that the Bitcoin project had in fact already been 'hijacked' before those emails were sent, although this is just a conspiracy theory and/or speculation at present, perhaps ...

[TinaK]

What do you think these other things could be?

I generally assume he was moving on to battle an illness, and that he lost the battle and died.

LOL how you assume that he died.

We need to look the value and make the money with that if Satoshi comes to live we may expect good price growth considering this as positive move for crypto field. We wish to have the official announcement of Satoshi soon among us.

[tsaroz]

What do you think these other things could be?

I generally assume he was moving on to battle an illness, and that he lost the battle and died.

LOL how you assume that he died.

We need to look the value and make the money with that if Satoshi comes to live we may expect good price growth considering this as positive move for crypto field. We wish to have the official announcement of Satoshi soon among us.

Maybe he was Craig Wright and he actually  already invented Bitcoin 2.0  by the name of BSV. That's stupid, I don't think he'll again work on a bitcoin related project. He might be working on a new form of crypto or maybe the work is not related to crypto at all. All we can do is assume, satoshi had the plan to leave bitcoin and disappear without a trace and we should respect his choice.

[LeGaulois]

Right now I'm thinking about something else, what about if he moved to... nothing else?

In trying to put ourselves in his shoes, he needed to remain vague, perhaps not to say a real reason. Or simply because its original purpose was to let things be done by a community and not by a single person (Satoshi). Perhaps also it was a good way to create a myth about who's behind Satoshi

I believe he didn't want to have to invent a crazy story to leave the project with a good excuse.

[xvids]

I think it was just an excuse so that we wouldn't bother searching for Satoshi or the person behind the name.
What if Satoshi is still around and hiding with another pseudonym ?

What do you think these other things could be?

I generally assume he was moving on to battle an illness, and that he lost the battle and died.

And this could also be true and could be the reason why Satoshi couldn't comeback to the community.
It has been 10 years now many things could happen maybe before Satoshi even begin creating Bitcoin the person is already sick.

[Kyraishi]

I think Satoshi secretly knew that every single part of his life and online presence would one day be examined whenever Bitcoin makes it big and this seems like a good cover story.

When you think like Satoshi, and you've just created probably the most technically advanced crypto-currency in the world, what would you move on to? Unless it was an illness or condition I definetly think it was just an excuse for him to be able to disappear before things got too heated, and I reckon he's still around in crypto, under a different alias, and possibly still on the forum as well.

[kawetsriyanto]

I assume we won't find out the real meaning of "moved on to other things" since only Satoshi knows about it. "Other things" has multiple interpretations and can refer to various things. So, personally, I don't see certain clues to guide us to the meaning of the words. We only can guess some possibilities :

1. He stopped using "Satoshi" as his identity.
But who knows that he really stooped or not, he may use other names.

2. He planned to make Bitcoin to have no owner.
It is matched with the Bitcoin criteria such as decentralized or anonymity.

3. Satoshi no longer leads the development of Bitcoin.
He might think that Satoshi's role as the leader of the development of Bitcoin should end at that moment.
It can be related to security, Bitcoin sustainability, or other vital things.

It's purely my own theory. 

[Pearls Before Swine]

Very interesting, but lol.  It's like asking the person who invented sex what other things he's moved on to.

Seriously, I can't imagine anything Satoshi can do that would top bitcoin.  Even if he has a million good ideas from now until doomsday, he could always rest on his laurels knowing he invented bitcoin.  It's really a shame that there's no Nobel prize for computer science, although the creation of bitcoin might qualify for the economics prize...tho awarding it might present somewhat of a problem assuming Satoshi's identity remains unknown.

[Kemarit]

It's really open for discussions and interpretation regarding his statement. I think the man is really a genius, his word can disguise anything from moving to other projects, focusing on his/her/they personal life, or because of health issues, his/her/they needed to stop at that time. I guess we can't really find the real reason as he suddenly disappear from obscurity, but will remain relevant because of his invention.

[blckhawk]

The word 'probably' caught my eye though. So there are chances that he isn't under serious medical condition that is life-threatening. These 'other things' might be focusing on his family, or other endeavors such as only hobbies while enjoying his life away from work done on Bitcoin. Considering he must have enough money to live his life peacefully, he's maybe just travelling or in a peaceful vacation house somewhere.

I think the main reason why he never revealed his identity is to keep off the radar of the US Government and other governing institutions, that is surely does not want decetralized way of things, especially currency in which they draw power. If his identity is known earlier when Bitcoin isn't globally spread, then the government might suppress its development or even threaten Satoshi's life.

[CryptoBry]

What do you think these other things could be?

I generally assume he was moving on to battle an illness, and that he lost the battle and died.

LOL how you assume that he died.

We need to look the value and make the money with that if Satoshi comes to live we may expect good price growth considering this as positive move for crypto field. We wish to have the official announcement of Satoshi soon among us.

Maybe he was Craig Wright and he actually  already invented Bitcoin 2.0  by the name of BSV. That's stupid, I don't think he'll again work on a bitcoin related project. He might be working on a new form of crypto or maybe the work is not related to crypto at all. All we can do is assume, satoshi had the plan to leave bitcoin and disappear without a trace and we should respect his choice.

As long as Bitcoin is alive and growing, people will always be fascinated with almost anything that has some connection with Satoshi Nakamoto. The search for the real guy will continue on and one despite the pleadings of the many to just let the man stay underground, or "rest in peace" if it is true he is already dead, for as long as he want in fulfillment of his wishes. This is just another sign that people are really interested with the origin of Bitcoin and the man who started it all.

Maybe Satoshi Nakamoto decided at that time that he had enough of what he was doing and can no more contribute new with this platform that he started and so he was letting it go all thinking that there will eventually be people who can take the burden for themselves, making this whole thing really not for profit and not for self-serving interests (a litmus test that many later cryptocurrency leaders failed miserably).

I am guessing that maybe Satoshi Nakamoto decided to instead be a good farmer and he is just somewhere enjoying the foods he is harvesting from time to time, enjoying the sunrise and the sunset everyday with his loving family smiling and laughing all the way. Now I am just wondering why he still refused to move his stash of Bitcoin...maybe he also adopted a creed forsaking wealth and materialism?




 

[NathanJB]

"I’ve moved on to other things" could mean a lot of things. And we can only theorize and create speculations on what those words actually mean. It could mean he has moved on to focus on other things he is fond of. It could also mean that he has another project to start. It could also simply mean "I won't have to be over the Bitcoin project everyday for the rest of my life." Or it might signify retirement. Satoshi might be somewhere detached from the busy world right now.

[BonfireBob]

What do you think these other things could be?

I generally assume he was moving on to battle an illness, and that he lost the battle and died.

This is so dramatic I think that he moved to other projects, people who innovates can not sit in one place, they have so start doing something, maybe he is searching a way how to create something bigger than Bitcoin

[romero121]

What do you think these other things could be?

I generally assume he was moving on to battle an illness, and that he lost the battle and died.

This is so dramatic I think that he moved to other projects, people who innovates can not sit in one place, they have so start doing something, maybe he is searching a way how to create something bigger than Bitcoin

Well said, innovators can't spend the time and the mind on a single project. Once they innovate automatically they'll go for a bigger innovation pushing themselves harder and harder. This way Satoshi moving to find a bigger way isn't a big thing. This is like one beating his own records.

[Eclipse26]

In contrast with what you believe, I bet Satoshi did not move to another thing. Maybe he was already satisfied knowing that bitcoin manage to survive for 10 years and until now, it is growing and becoming more popular. He is more that satisfied that he don't have to reveal himself. Maybe he's just watching everyone believing in bitcoin. Maybe when bitcoin us just starting, he might have started a new project but now, I doubt it. I think he's alrrady contented with what bitcoin have achieved.

[Casdinyard]

I won't be surprised if Satoshi really abandoned bitcoin, ideally he's already giving a clue in his email when he says he's moving on to something. And hiding Satoshi's identity is more likely his intention.

I generally assume he was moving on to battle an illness, and that he lost the battle and died.

Lol, that sounds his last will and testament.

[dothebeats]

What do you think these other things could be?

I generally assume he was moving on to battle an illness, and that he lost the battle and died.

LOL how you assume that he died.

We need to look the value and make the money with that if Satoshi comes to live we may expect good price growth considering this as positive move for crypto field. We wish to have the official announcement of Satoshi soon among us.

Danny has always been firm to his belief that Satoshi had already died prior to the 2013 ATH, and has not changed his stance since. I do also believe that the reason for him stepping down for good is to tackle personal matters involving himself and no one else. Idk why but I always get this feeling that the man behind Satoshi is no other than Hal Finney himself, though many others can say otherwise. Being there since the genesis block, up to the point where everything is working as smoothly as possible and claiming that "Satoshi might be my next-door neighbor" is like trying to tell us something that we just ignored.

Anyhow, I do believe that whatever Satoshi did to bitcoin and the world would forever be remembered, with or without him needing to come back.

[error08]

What do you think these other things could be?

I generally assume he was moving on to battle an illness, and that he lost the battle and died.

A thread created in 2018 replied after 1 year 3 months and 10 days, it's worth though. so funny how we miss such good topic to discuss.
I just found out that Satoshi still responded to email until April 2011 and early May before vanished.
It feels so sad like if your father leave for good, gone forever.

I know, some still hope; by any chance, if Satoshi's btt account suddenly active (online) even just for a few seconds even without he saying anything, it's still a big hope for us to know that he is still alive and watches over the forum.
the question in my head for Theymos since a long time ago, just curious;
If satoshi decides to revive his account, can he do it? or have you blocked his account so that no one can revive it?