What is this fascination with claiming to be Satoshi Nakamoto?

[FinneysTrueVision]

I've only ever heard of Craig Wright and Paul Le Roux.

With Craig Wright it is obvious he is hoping to make some money. He has filed for dozens of patents with the US Patent and Trademark Office. If you look up the patents they are all pretty vague and based on other people's inventions. I don't know what his endgame is but perhaps by he hopes that by getting some patents approved he can later sue developers for stealing his ideas and gain control over Bitcoin.

I'm not sure Paul Le Roux ever openly claimed to be Satoshi. It just seems to be a wild conspiracy theory. A criminal mastermind being the creator of Bitcoin gets a lot of clicks. There's just enough circumstantial evidence to make it kind of believable. Some of the people that vouched for him being Satoshi, like Martin Shkreli, don't seem like the most reliable sources.

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[Kavelj22]

I cannot understand why people cannot comprehend the idea that Satoshi Nakamoto does not exist and that the chances of him appearing are very slim, and this is for very logical reasons. If we assume that Satoshi did not hide his identity and died a month after announcing Bitcoin, what would be the difference? Can't the matter be dealt with as if its owner died and did not disappear? Then the most important reason is the difference between Bitcoin as we know it today in its absolute decentralized character and its creator being known to the public and having the ability to make decisions, even media statements capable of directing the market. Bitcoin will definitely not be what it is today. We have many examples, the most important of which is Ethereum, whose owner who created it sometimes receives more attention than Ethereum itself.

The mystery of Satoshi's identity is very important, at least at this stage, and that Satoshi, before his disappearance, did not leave chance for anyone to impersonate him, since he is the only one (supposedly) who can sign messages from those first addresses that he used or transfer funds from them. The increased interest in the mystery is what gives an opportunity for all these climbers to try to wear this character on the basis that its owner is absent without anyone knowing anything about him, and unfortunately it may succeed in carrying out a well organized scam.

[Ale88]

So basically, the people who claim to be Satoshi are nothing but narcissists? That is what I am getting whenever I see someone claiming to be such- I mean, who would want to have that kind of popularity?

The short answer is yes, they are narcissists. And they don't even care about "that" type of popularity, it's not important, they just want people to talk about them. And I think that they are not even that smart because if some criminal actually believes you are Satoshi that means that somewhere you and tens of billions of dollars, there are people who are willing to kill for $100, let alone what they could do if they think you have that kind of money. Good luck explaining it was all a joke...

[Abiky]

Grifters, scammers, fantasists, narcissists & a mixture of all of that I suppose. Bitcoin is perhaps the greatest innovation of the last 100 years. To be able to say you are Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of such a phenomenon is kind of a big deal. All of these people who want what comes with that, want what it would bring to be the great Satoshi. Ignore all the noise though, I don’t believe Satoshi will ever come out of hiding, it goes against everything that he is/was. Certainly none of the scammers who have claimed to be Satoshi so far are the great man.

For a cryptocurrency that went from being worth nothing to thousands of dollars after a few years, you can bet anyone would want "a piece of the pie" by claiming to be the real Satoshi. It's all drama because there's no way the original Bitcoin creator will show up in public. Especially now when most governments consider Bitcoin to be a threat to the very existence of Fiat currencies. You think Satoshi would want to reveal his identity when there's a huge risk of doing so? It's best for Satoshi to remain anonymous for the good of the Bitcoin project. Either he is dead or he is hiding somewhere quietly watching Bitcoin's developments.

I believe we should move on and focus on what matters most (which is bringing banking to the unbanked). The more people adopt Bitcoin as their currency, the more Fiat currencies will lose ground. A nation adopting BTC as legal tender (eg: El Salvador) is a first step towards "hyperbitcoinization". Maybe someday BTC will become the "one world currency" many were talking about?

[wiss19]

The reason is simple, they know how popular Bitcoin has become and how the whole world is adopting and admiring Bitcoin, and we know that when something becomes famous, people tend to become appreciative or praise the creator of that thing, and that is the exact reason why these people are trying their best to prove that they are Satoshi Nakamoto or at least claim to be. From the list you've provided, I've only known about Craig Wright.

I don't really understand what makes them think that the public will actually believe in them and accept that yes, one of them is actually Satoshi Nakamoto. Besides, how the hell do they know that Satoshi was actually an individual and it wasn't a group of people who created the technology?

[Peanutswar]

I guess one of the reason that became a trend is Satoshi Nakamoto because of is curious about the people and have a lot of secrets like his identity, the reason of the bitcoin, is he still holding a lot of bitcoin and etc. People now become more curious also now bitcoin has become a trend and many people would like to know more of this creator. Until now there's no jury who is the real Satoshi Nakamoto. Tons of speculations, and pretending that they are the Real Satoshi its easy to say but its hard to believe.

[Abiky]

I guess one of the reason that became a trend is Satoshi Nakamoto because of is curious about the people and have a lot of secrets like his identity, the reason of the bitcoin, is he still holding a lot of bitcoin and etc. People now become more curious also now bitcoin has become a trend and many people would like to know more of this creator. Until now there's no jury who is the real Satoshi Nakamoto. Tons of speculations, and pretending that they are the Real Satoshi its easy to say but its hard to believe.

No one likes secrets. You can see why many people are interested in knowing who Satoshi is. Bitcoin's quick rise to popularity led some individuals pose as the real Satoshi for fame and fortune. But their attempts to fool the public has failed, due being unable to provide proof of Satoshi's original keys. If no transactions are signed or moved from Satoshi's wallet, then all efforts will be in vain.

I don't think people will discover who the real Satoshi is, especially when there's a huge risk of revealing his identity. You can bet governments will hunt him down until he ends up in jail, or even kill him in the process. For the sake of Bitcoin, it's best to leave things as is. Eventually the world will give up as it finds other important things to focus us. Remember, we're all Satoshi. As long as BTC stays decentralized, there should be nothing to worry about. Just my opinion

[Blitzboy]

I guess one of the reason that became a trend is Satoshi Nakamoto because of is curious about the people and have a lot of secrets like his identity, the reason of the bitcoin, is he still holding a lot of bitcoin and etc. People now become more curious also now bitcoin has become a trend and many people would like to know more of this creator. Until now there's no jury who is the real Satoshi Nakamoto. Tons of speculations, and pretending that they are the Real Satoshi its easy to say but its hard to believe.

No one likes secrets. You can see why many people are interested in knowing who Satoshi is. Bitcoin's quick rise to popularity led some individuals pose as the real Satoshi for fame and fortune. But their attempts to fool the public has failed, due being unable to provide proof of Satoshi's original keys. If no transactions are signed or moved from Satoshi's wallet, then all efforts will be in vain.

I don't think people will discover who the real Satoshi is, especially when there's a huge risk of revealing his identity. You can bet governments will hunt him down until he ends up in jail, or even kill him in the process. For the sake of Bitcoin, it's best to leave things as is. Eventually the world will give up as it finds other important things to focus us. Remember, we're all Satoshi. As long as BTC stays decentralized, there should be nothing to worry about. Just my opinion

I see your point regarding Satoshi, the secret-keeper. All these attempts to find Bitcoin's creator or creators; isnt it fascinating? Yes, many people have impersonated Satoshi to get fame and money. Their stories dont stick without those keys and proof.

However, if Satoshi's identity were discovered, how would Bitcoin change? Your notion about decentralization being vital resonates, no? Everyone contributes to its progress and adoption. With or without Satoshi's identity, Bitcoin's direction, destiny, is shaped by the community, not just one person.

[Abiky]

I see your point regarding Satoshi, the secret-keeper. All these attempts to find Bitcoin's creator or creators; isnt it fascinating? Yes, many people have impersonated Satoshi to get fame and money. Their stories dont stick without those keys and proof.

However, if Satoshi's identity were discovered, how would Bitcoin change? Your notion about decentralization being vital resonates, no? Everyone contributes to its progress and adoption. With or without Satoshi's identity, Bitcoin's direction, destiny, is shaped by the community, not just one person.

If Satoshi's identity is discovered, it's likely the community will "fork away". The new chain won't have Satoshi's original Bitcoin holdings to protect the Blockchain. In the aftermath, governments would most likely prosecute Satoshi to either put him in jail or execute him (death penalty). It would be a complete disaster.

Many things can happen in the future, so we should expect the unexpected. As long as Bitcoin stays decentralized and censorship-resistant, nothing should be able to stand on its way. Let's hope we'll never find Satoshi for the good of the crypto/Blockchain industry.

[danadc]

Those who claim to be Satoshi and because they want to be famous and want to have a lot of Recognition , that is something that can be understood, perhaps a person with low self-esteem? The most common is Craig, but at the end of the day it makes me laugh, because he is someone who wants to look like he is the smartest of all, per sui Satooshi has already moved all the BTC that he has, so I think that These things are not what they Should be, the real Satoshi is not Known if it is one person or many people, but those who claim to be Satoshi for me are looking for that , something that seems unpleasant to me, taking the triumph of others as if it were from the same person , it's sad.

[jeha2015]

Of course, those who claim to be Satoshi only seek popularity with the big name Satoshi, nothing more. Ultimately the goal is fraud. What is certain is that we as a bitcoin community are not easily fooled by news that claims to be Satoshi because we believe Satoshi will never appear at any time, because Bitcoin is anonymous so it is impossible if he is Satoshi he will surface. This would go against the basic principle of bitcoin, namely privacy.

I also read the news that Elon Musk is Satoshi. We just need to keep quiet, because it is clear that this is not possible. It's true that Elon Musk never said it himself, but his fans say that Elon Musk is Satoshi. Lol

[albon]

There are more who have claimed to be Satoshi but why? Why do they want to be Satoshi so bad they look stupid to the public with all their self proclamation. In fact there are so many dangers in being Satoshi because he would be the center of every backlash, investigations, arrest warrants, and what have you. And besides, it would make no difference because he, Satoshi technically would have no say on how the bitcoin network should or should not run based on the consensus. Which other faketoshis do you know? And have you ever taken any of them seriously?

I really felt mockery when I saw some of these people who claimed to be the real Satoshi Nakamoto. What's amusing is that they declared this not too long ago, just a few years back. Anyone can now claim to be the real Satoshi, to seek fame and be in the front headlines, and can also impersonate Satoshi's identity in order to deceive the cryptocurrency community of investors and traders and obtain hundreds and thousands of followers and crypto fans in a short period. But the most critical question is, what proof did they present to prove that they are the real Satoshi? The answer is nothing. By signing a message using Satoshi's official wallet address, this matter can be resolved.

Honestly, whoever takes these impersonators of Satoshi seriously is mainly a beginner who is not familiar with all the sufficient information about this matter, and it is easy for him to believe anyone who sees him.

[tjtonmoy]

Which other faketoshis do you know? And have you ever taken any of them seriously?

People are obsessed for getting recognized. And when there's a hot topic, people will most likely take that as an opportunity and use that to their advantage. But people are not that stupid. You need solid evidence in order to prove that you are Satoshi Nakamoto. They will face the consequences if proven to be the real Satoshi but don't know why they still do it. Is it for popularity or recognition? But I have never taken anyone seriously.

Few days ago, there was a Twitter account that has recently come to life. Many believes that it was the real Satoshi. But there are people who were saying that it wasn't the real one. I'm not interested in finding out who Satoshi really is. Not knowing his identity is the key reason why Bitcoin is here. Bitcoin could never reach this height if the creator of Bitcoin is known. Staying anonymous has paved the path for Bitcoin to reach where it is now. So I don't think it is important whoever claims to be Satoshi. Let them do whatever they want. And I don't know about any other faketoshi. I only knew about three of them but thanks to your post I have learned it now.

[Japinat]

Why are these people obsessed with being identified as Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin? In 2019 this website reported a list of self-proclaimed bitcoin founder;

• Ronald Keala Kua Maria
• Pakastani Bilal Khalid and his PR firm Ivy McLemore  
• Debo Jurgen Etienne Guido
• Jörg Molt
• Craig Wright
• Paul Calder Le Roux

There are more who have claimed to be Satoshi but why? Why do they want to be Satoshi so bad they look stupid to the public with all their self proclamation. In fact there are so many dangers in being Satoshi because he would be the center of every backlash, investigations, arrest warrants, and what have you. And besides, it would make no difference because he, Satoshi technically would have no say on how the bitcoin network should or should not run based on the consensus. Which other faketoshis do you know? And have you ever taken any of them seriously?

Well, it could be for popularity and own the spotlight that only the real Satoshi deserves. But more than that, I believe its all about money matters and making more money from those people who easily believe on them. In short, they want to use this opportunity to scam people most especially that bitcoin is in the verge of popularity when it comes to profitability and security in an crypto investment. If they can do that, they will become instant billionaires in an instant without proving their real identity to the whole world.

However, we're also aware that the real Satoshi is not active anymore in any form of social media platform. He could be dead, or he is just living away from the spotlight for personal reasons. This makes the scammers hard to deceive people and pretend to be Satoshi. A lot really tried to claim the name of Satoshi but all of them failed in the process.

[BitDane]

I've only ever heard of Craig Wright and Paul Le Roux.

With Craig Wright it is obvious he is hoping to make some money. He has filed for dozens of patents with the US Patent and Trademark Office. If you look up the patents they are all pretty vague and based on other people's inventions. I don't know what his endgame is but perhaps by he hopes that by getting some patents approved he can later sue developers for stealing his ideas and gain control over Bitcoin.

It is possibly the case but I am more on CSW and other "Bitcoin Creator" claimant is after the legacy of being the creator of Bitcoin. Once acknowledge his name will be known forever as the creator of the revolutionary financial program that change the course of financial system.  Of course that also includes the possibility to gain more money, but I do not think he can sue any developer who participated in Bitcoin development since Bitcoin github is open-source and is publicly displayed and is licensed under MIT. 

This link explains how MIT license works: Open Source Software Licenses 101: The MIT License

[mirakal]

There are two ways for people to become famous, namely by their achievements or by their sensationalism. Maybe these faketoshi want to become famous in a sensational way which can increase the exposure of their name. Even though this method is not very good, there are still many people who want to become famous in a sensational way even if they become the laughing stock of people, and these Faketoshi are not ashamed of this.

In short, they want to feel that they are important and being valued by many. Through the achievements of Satoshi, they will be highly respected and will be given power and achieve wealth in the process.  It's not that they will become instantly rich if they claim Satoshi's name, but it will offer them big opportunities so they can deceive the people and patronize whatever their offers and make them wealthy in the process. But of course, even if they want to outsmart the people, the people themselves are even smarter by them. With the help of internet and legit sources of information spreading online, people can research everything about these people and find red flags that will prove that they are definitely not the real Satoshi Nakamoto.

[Ndabagi01]

Why are these people obsessed with being identified as Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin? In 2019 this website reported a list of self-proclaimed bitcoin founder;

Nothing but the desire to be the centre of attention. If you dig far into the internet to find out who Satoshi is, you'll find a website that mentions one of these identities as Satoshi Nakamoto. What else do they require if not attention of publicity? People impersonate not just anyone, but the resourceful individual who has created something valuable that many people are drawn to. There are two motives for this: either to gain popularity or to scam people into believing they are one and thus believing in what they urge them to do.

[taufik123]

-snip-
Few days ago, there was a Twitter account that has recently come to life. Many believes that it was the real Satoshi. But there are people who were saying that it wasn't the real one. I'm not interested in finding out who Satoshi really is. Not knowing his identity is the key reason why Bitcoin is here. Bitcoin could never reach this height if the creator of Bitcoin is known. Staying anonymous has paved the path for Bitcoin to reach where it is now. So I don't think it is important whoever claims to be Satoshi. Let them do whatever they want. And I don't know about any other faketoshi. I only knew about three of them but thanks to your post I have learned it now.

This also proves that Bitcoin can become bigger and develop without the founder, without the intervention of others and this is purely from the community.
Decentralized and cannot be regulated by anyone including the government.

If Satoshi is known then Bitcoin can no longer be decentralized because the government will continue to pressure Satoshi to open all the source code.

Those who claim to be Satoshi only want popularity so that the projects they work on will get attention.
See how CSW does it by promoting BCH which is claimed to be the real Bitcoin.

It's quite ridiculous when anyone who claims to be Satoshi can't prove that they're really Satoshi,
instead of leading opinions with some active satoshi accounts and such.

[Arenga pinnata]

I also don't understand why they dare to make statements and claim to be Satoshi. But one thing that is certain is that they are probably just looking for popularity and trying to profit from that popularity. They are not afraid of all the dangers that could threaten them because they know that they are not Satoshi. So they will stay safe. Because people won't believe them either. but one thing they managed to get was that they managed to attract everyone's attention. And yes, in the end they can become popular people. But still I don't understand the real motive for it all. Maybe this is part of the media business to promote news or something like that. But maybe it's also because they obsess themselves too much about this. There are many possibilities. but no one will know except themselves or the parties behind it all.

[famososMuertos]

Obviously it has happened in history in the craziest situations possible, mainly for scams, but there are people who said they were in the Holocaust or those who said they survived 9/11( WTC), it is not that rare.

So, you have one of the most controversial and interesting characters of the 21st century, that can be exciting for some people.  And the reasons for doing so in this case, its genius that is reflected in Bitcoin, that creates interest and morbidity.