Satoshi - the beginnings and the end of his activity

[ForgottenPassword]

Cypherpunks
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cypherpunk

Thanks! I've seen this article before, but I read only 2 first paragraphs:)

@ForgottenPassword

Uh... the early users found out from those posts in the cryptography mailing list. Those posts were the first mention of bitcoin ever. One of the repliers to that initial post was Hal Finney (who is also a famous cryptographer) who in turn was the first person to receive a payment via bitcoin, satoshi sent him 10BTC.

Yes, people still use mailing lists even today. That cryptography mailing list is still popular today. They had been discussing ideas for virtual currencies similar to bitcoin on that mailing list since 1998 hence why it was the perfect place to show it off.

OK, so I understand the beginnings now. Thanks.

Wikileaks started accepting bitcoin and bitcoin started getting media coverage because of it.

Seems like he didn't like all the attention and decided to leave.

What bothers me, he didn't say "good bye" after so many years:) But OK, it's one of the mysteries of him.

I can't be 100% sure on this, but I think he did say "goodbye" in a private email to bitcoin developer Gavin Andressen who took his place as lead developer after he left. I can't for the life of me find where I read that, but from what I remember he said he was going to start "working on other things".

[konradp]

I can't be 100% sure on this, but I think he did say "goodbye" in a private email to bitcoin developer Gavin Andressen who took his place as lead developer after he left. I can't for the life of me find where I read that, but from what I remember he said he was going to start "working on other things".

Thanks.

[LiteCoinGuy]

I can't be 100% sure on this, but I think he did say "goodbye" in a private email to bitcoin developer Gavin Andressen who took his place as lead developer after he left. I can't for the life of me find where I read that, but from what I remember he said he was going to start "working on other things".

Thanks.

other things = world peace. solved in 2015 
satoshi loves big adventures.

[gtraah]

He came back to say: "I am not Dorian Nakamoto" on March 7, 2014
http://p2pfoundation.ning.com/profile/SatoshiNakamoto

Who knows one day he will be known but I like it the way it is: a mysterious myth.

Didn't you here that this was not him and someone duplicated an account and acted like it was him. I forgot exactlty who and how it was done but it was not him

[franky1]

satoshi kept his identity a secret far before the 2009 launch of bitcoin. even in late 2008 before the white paper he was already using anonymous email (satoshi@vistomail.com)

so who says he didnt say hello in october 2008 or goodbye in december 2010. he just didnt do it publicly

[leex1528]

You guys keep talking about him as if he is just 1 person.  Satoshi isn't one person, they are many.  You don't think someone would have found "1" person by now....I call complete BS.

Look at the code and how he spoke on forums and you will realize there are multiple people behind it.

[Ron~Popeil]

You guys keep talking about him as if he is just 1 person.  Satoshi isn't one person, they are many.  You don't think someone would have found "1" person by now....I call complete BS.

Look at the code and how he spoke on forums and you will realize there are multiple people behind it.

I agree, it is likely multiple people. Do we even know for sure that "he" is the right gender term?

[Rampton]

You guys keep talking about him as if he is just 1 person.  Satoshi isn't one person, they are many.  You don't think someone would have found "1" person by now....I call complete BS.

Look at the code and how he spoke on forums and you will realize there are multiple people behind it.

Any evidence that he was more than one person? If he was really smart (which he (or they) was) and wanted to cover your identity you would throw in different writing styles to throw people off and keep guessing.

[Yeezus]

I have no idea whether he is one person or several, but I like the enigma behind him. I like to think he was just fucking with people as well hehe. I wonder if he or they will ever get outed or exposed? Not sure whether it would be a good  or bad idea to be honest.

[Jamie_Boulder]

He came back to say: "I am not Dorian Nakamoto" on March 7, 2014
http://p2pfoundation.ning.com/profile/SatoshiNakamoto

Who knows one day he will be known but I like it the way it is: a mysterious myth.

How the hell did I not know about this, that's brilliant.

[konradp]

You guys keep talking about him as if he is just 1 person.  Satoshi isn't one person, they are many.  You don't think someone would have found "1" person by now....I call complete BS.

Look at the code and how he spoke on forums and you will realize there are multiple people behind it.

Any evidence that he was more than one person? If he was really smart (which he (or they) was) and wanted to cover your identity you would throw in different writing styles to throw people off and keep guessing.

+1

He/they would probably use not-so-perfect english from time to time, like my english for example:)

[leex1528]

Any evidence that he was more than one person? If he was really smart (which he (or they) was) and wanted to cover your identity you would throw in different writing styles to throw people off and keep guessing.

I think if he was one person someone would have been able to find him and dox him.  

Of course there is no evidence that he isn't just 1 person, just all the signs point to him not being one.  You wouldn't blatantly write in your code 2 different spellings of the same word because you think"I am going to try and throw people off" You would do it because one person spells it differently than the other..

[Dabs]

Or he could actually be really just one person. No one knows for sure. Everything is speculation.

[konradp]

Forgive me my english.

I'm still a newbie here. I registered in February this year, but then I had other things to do.

Nevertheless I remember there were hundreds of discussions about who Satoshi is, is he he or/her or a group.

I didn't mean to start yet another discussion like this.  All I wanted to know was where it started (I got it now) and where it ended (and why, I got that too).

But since these old questions raised again, I would like to ask a bit more precise questions. Personally I believe this is one person. For one reason: (once again, forgive me my english): a secret hold by more than a few people is no secret anymore. I mean,  @leex1528 said:

I think if he was one person someone would have been able to find him and dox him. 

Why the hell do you thinks so? It's the opposite! If there were more people involved, more people would knew about it, and the chances that someboy would speak up would be greater.

Again  @leex1528:

You guys keep talking about him as if he is just 1 person.  Satoshi isn't one person, they are many.  You don't think someone would have found "1" person by now....I call complete BS.

Look at the code and how he spoke on forums and you will realize there are multiple people behind it.

Now, to be precise, can you point me to the parts of the code you're talking about? I did see the code (first versions) and I just can't see what you're talking about. And what about the way he spoke on the forums? I've heard many times the opposite - that his writing style is quite the same all the time. Of course, with my english skill it's impossible for me to judge, but again, if you say what you say, why not give some examples?

@gtraah:

Didn't you here that this was not him and someone duplicated an account and acted like it was him. I forgot exactlty who and how it was done but it was not him

Well, there was a theory like this, as always. But no proofs whatsoever. So it's just a theory, nothing more. He didn't sign his message with his PGP, so what? If somebody took control over his account, I believe he/she would make many stupid posts, not just one after so many years, don't you think? But it doesn't matter.

[ObscureBean]

I like to imagine that he still roams this forum from time to time for a giggle 
Maybe as a newbie, perhaps even posting on occasion all the while reveling in the subtleties of anonymity.
With all the millions he got from his invention though, he probably got a ton of cooler things to do 

[BowieMan]

I can't be 100% sure on this, but I think he did say "goodbye" in a private email to bitcoin developer Gavin Andressen who took his place as lead developer after he left. I can't for the life of me find where I read that, but from what I remember he said he was going to start "working on other things".

Thanks.

other things = world peace. solved in 2015 
satoshi loves big adventures.

I really wonder whether he's still working on something. May it be Bitcoin related, maybe another Cryptocurrency, or maybe something completely different and new! He potentially is a genius and I'm very interested in what may still lay ahead of us!