Satoshi Nakamoto is the richest holder of crypto in the world, with an on-chain net worth of $123 billion dollars (at the time of writing). The entirety of this is from the Bitcoin he mined from 2009 and 2010 and is stored across 22,000 addresses.Â
According to the Bloomberg Billionaireâs Index, this puts Satoshi Nakamoto in the top 20 richest people in the world.
Nakamotoâs various 22,000 Bitcoin wallets are some of the most scrutinised holdings around. Any movement from these wallets would likely send huge shockwaves throughout the industry.Â
The following is a list of all the richest on-chain individuals according to Arkham data, beginning with Satoshi Nakamotoâs huge fortune and working downwards from multi-billionaires to multi-millionaires.Â
As mentioned already, Satoshi Nakamotoâs fortune is well over $100 billion. However, his inclusion on this list is potentially controversial as nobody knows for sure whether he is really an individual, or a collection of individuals.Â
Have you ever wondered just how loaded the mysterious creator of Bitcoin really is? Well grab a coffee and let’s dive into one of the most fascinating wealth stories of our digital age – the untouched fortune of Satoshi Nakamoto.
The Mind-Blowing Fortune That Nobody’s Touched
Let’s cut to the chase – Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin, is sitting on a fortune that would make most billionaires jealous. According to the latest data, Nakamoto’s wallet holds approximately 1.1 million bitcoins. At the current price of over $123,000 per Bitcoin (as of July 14, 2025), that stash is worth a staggering $135 billion!
But here’s the kicker – this enormous wealth has remained completely untouched since 2010. Not a single bitcoin has moved from those original wallets. It’s like finding a winning lottery ticket worth billions and just letting it collect dust on your fridge.
Who is This Crypto Billionaire Anyway?
The truth is, nobody knows for sure Satoshi Nakamoto appeared out of nowhere in 2008, published the Bitcoin white paper, launched the first Bitcoin software in January 2009, collaborated with other developers until mid-2010, and then simply.. vanished.
Some key facts about our mysterious billionaire:
- Used a Japanese name, but many doubt they’re actually Japanese
- Wrote in flawless English with British spelling conventions
- Was actively developing Bitcoin from 2007-2010
- Communicated primarily via email and forum posts
- Had an unusual sleep pattern that didn’t match Japan’s time zone
- Left the project in 2011, telling developer Mike Hearn they had “moved on to other things”
Despite countless investigations, news articles, and internet sleuths, Nakamoto’s true identity remains unknown. We’re talking about someone who created a revolutionary technology worth trillions, holds billions personally, and has successfully remained anonymous for over 16 years. That’s some serious commitment to privacy!
The Suspects: Who Might Be Sitting on Those Billions?
Over the years, several candidates have been proposed as the “real” Satoshi. Let’s look at some of the most compelling ones:
Hal Finney
An early Bitcoin pioneer who received the first Bitcoin transaction from Satoshi. Finney was a respected cryptographer who lived just blocks away from a man named Dorian Satoshi Nakamoto (more on him in a sec). Finney passed away in 2014, and many believe he either was Satoshi or worked closely with them.
Dorian Nakamoto
In 2014, Newsweek published an article identifying Dorian Prentice Satoshi Nakamoto, a Japanese-American engineer from California, as Bitcoin’s creator. When confronted by journalists, he made a comment that seemed like a confession: “I am no longer involved in that and I cannot discuss it.” He later clarified he misunderstood the question and thought they were asking about his classified engineering work. The real Satoshi’s P2P Foundation account, dormant for years, suddenly posted: “I am not Dorian Nakamoto.”
Nick Szabo
A computer scientist who created “bit gold,” a precursor to Bitcoin. Stylometric analysis has found similarities between Szabo’s writing and Satoshi’s. When asked if he was Satoshi, Szabo replied: “I’m afraid you got it wrong doxing me as Satoshi, but I’m used to it.”
Craig Wright
An Australian computer scientist who has repeatedly claimed to be Satoshi. However, Wright has failed to provide cryptographic proof that would easily verify this claim. In March 2024, a UK High Court judge ruled that Wright is not Satoshi Nakamoto, stating that documents submitted by Wright were forgeries and that he “lied to the court extensively and repeatedly.” In December 2024, Wright was sentenced to one year in prison (suspended) for contempt of court related to his claims.
Why Hasn’t Satoshi Spent Any Bitcoin?
This is perhaps the biggest mystery of all. Why would someone with access to $135 billion not touch a single satoshi? There are several theories:
- Lost Access – Satoshi may have lost the private keys needed to access the wallets.
- Died or Incapacitated – If Satoshi was an individual who passed away or became incapacitated without sharing access details, the coins would be permanently locked.
- Principles – Satoshi might be avoiding moving coins to maintain anonymity or because they believe in Bitcoin as a long-term project rather than personal enrichment.
- Watching and Waiting – They could be waiting for Bitcoin to achieve widespread adoption before touching their holdings.
- Multi-Person Team – If Satoshi was actually a team, they might have decided not to move the coins without unanimous agreement.
What Would Happen If Satoshi’s Bitcoins Suddenly Moved?
Imagine the crypto market chaos if after 15+ years of dormancy, those wallets suddenly sprang to life! Here’s what might happen:
- Market Panic – Bitcoin’s price could crash immediately on fears that Satoshi might be preparing to sell.
- Identity Revelation – Moving the coins would create a transaction trail that might lead to Satoshi’s real identity.
- Media Frenzy – Every financial news outlet worldwide would cover the story.
- Authentication – The crypto community would finally have proof about which suspected Satoshi is the real one.
Is Satoshi the Richest Person Who Never Spent Their Fortune?
In terms of paper wealth, Satoshi ranks among the world’s richest individuals. At $135 billion, Nakamoto would be in the top 20 richest people globally. What makes this fortune unique is that it’s completely untouched – no mansions, no yachts, no charitable donations, nothing.
This is particularly strange when you consider most wealthy people either:
- Spend their money on luxuries
- Invest in other ventures
- Donate to causes they care about
- Use their wealth to gain influence
Satoshi has done none of these things, making them possibly the most disciplined billionaire in history… or someone who cannot access their fortune.
The Philosophy Behind the Fortune
Perhaps the most compelling aspect of Satoshi’s untouched wealth is what it says about their motivations. When you create something revolutionary and walk away from billions, it strongly suggests you weren’t in it for the money.
Nakamoto seemed driven by philosophical and technical goals rather than financial ones. The Bitcoin whitepaper was released shortly after the 2008 financial crisis, and the genesis block contained the text: “The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks” – a clear commentary on traditional financial systems.
This suggests Satoshi’s primary motivation was creating an alternative financial system outside government control, not personal enrichment.
What This Means for Bitcoin’s Future
The untouched Nakamoto fortune creates both stability and risk for Bitcoin:
Stability: As long as those coins don’t move, a significant portion of Bitcoin’s supply remains effectively removed from circulation, potentially supporting its value.
Risk: The “Satoshi overhang” represents a theoretical risk – if those coins suddenly entered circulation, they could significantly impact Bitcoin’s market.
Final Thoughts: The Richest Person Nobody Knows
So, is the creator of Bitcoin rich? Absolutely, astronomically, mind-bogglingly rich – on paper. But what good is being worth $135 billion if you never spend a penny of it?
Satoshi Nakamoto remains one of history’s most fascinating wealth stories – a phantom billionaire who changed the world and apparently wanted nothing in return. Whether they’re unable to access their fortune or simply don’t care about it, Satoshi demonstrates something rare in today’s world: creating something revolutionary for reasons beyond personal gain.
In the end, maybe the most valuable thing Satoshi created wasn’t Bitcoin itself, but the example that some things are worth more than money – like privacy, principles, and changing the world.
4. Rain Lohmus ($1 billion)
Rain Lohmus represents one of cryptos most famous cautionary tales. The Estonian banker and co-founder of LHV Bank was an early believer in Ethereum, participating in its 2014 ICO. He invested approximately $75,000 and received a staggering 250,000 ETH.
However, Lohmus has since lost the private keys to the wallet holding these assets. While his holdings are visible and verifiable on the blockchain, he has no way to access or move them. His billion-dollar fortune is therefore trapped, serving as a stark reminder of the importance of key management and the unique risks of self-custody in the digital asset world.
Lohmusâ ETH holdings are now worth $1.05 billion.
Justin Sun ($3 billion)
Justin Sun is a Chinese entrepreneur and cryptocurrency pioneer best known as the founder of TRON, a blockchain platform focused on decentralized applications and digital content sharing. He is also the CEO of BitTorrent and the owner of two crypto exchanges.Â
According to Arkham data, Justin Sun has amassed an on-chain fortune of roughly $2.3 billion.Â
Sun has substantial holdings in several different cryptocurrencies:
Justin Sun has lately been at the center of a controversy involving World Liberty Financial (WLFI), a Trump-affiliated crypto project. After acquiring a large stake in WLFI Sunâs WLFI wallet was blacklisted by the project when around $9 million worth of WLFI tokens were transferred to exchanges.
Top 5 Richest Bitcoin BILLIONAIRES
FAQ
What if I bought $1 dollar of Bitcoin 10 years ago?
5 years ago: A $1 investment would be worth $9.69 since Bitcoin is up 869 percent from August 2020. 10 years ago: A $1 investment would be worth $496.93 since Bitcoin is up 49,593 percent from August 2015.
Are Bitcoin owners rich now?
There are now an estimated 241,700 individuals with crypto holdings worth $1 million or more, up 40% from last year, according to Henley & Partners and New World Wealth. There are 450 crypto centimillionaires, or those with crypto holdings of $100 million or more, and 36 crypto billionaires, according to the report.
How much would $100 dollars in Bitcoin be worth today?
With $100.00, you can get approximately 0.00098 BTC at the current exchange rate. To complete the transaction, visit the buy page or use the conversion feature on Kraken.
Who is the true founder of Bitcoin?
Bitcoin was created by an anonymous person or group using the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. Nakamoto published a whitepaper titled “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System,” outlining the concept of a decentralized digital currency. 1 The true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto remains unknown to this day.