A new theory has emerged regarding the mysterious creator of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto, suggesting that the enigmatic figure has not disappeared but has instead been methodically cashing out Bitcoin from early wallets since 2019.
BTCparser, a Bitcoin research firm, published a post on November 19 proposing that Nakamoto might be behind a large number of Bitcoin wallets created in 2010.
These wallets, which collectively hold 50 BTC each, had remained dormant for nearly a decade before suddenly transferring funds in November 2019. This move has been dubbed the “2010 megawhale” by the researchers.
According to BTCparser’s theory, these 2010 wallets, which had been untouched for years, were likely owned by Nakamoto. The theory suggests that rather than touching the original 2009 wallets, Nakamoto has been selling off Bitcoin from the 2010 wallets to avoid drawing attention to the stash.
This strategy would allow the creator to liquidate Bitcoin holdings without jeopardizing their anonymity or revealing their identity.
“Using these later-minted coins avoids drawing attention to the original stash, preserving anonymity and reducing the risk of exposing Satoshi’s identity,” BTCparser wrote in their post.
The theory is based on the observation that Bitcoin from the 2010 wallets was moved in several transactions beginning in November 2019. The funds were first pooled into a single P2SH address (typically used for escrow transactions) before being transferred to multiple bech32 addresses, known for low transaction fees.
The first large sale, worth approximately $5 million, occurred in November 2019. Subsequent sales took place in March and October 2020, with amounts ranging from $6 to $13 million. The most recent sale, on November 15, 2024, saw $176 million worth of Bitcoin liquidated.
These increasing sales volumes seem to coincide with the rising value of Bitcoin, indicating a possible strategic approach to cashing out, according to Cointelegraph. BTCparser speculates that Coinbase, the exchange where the coins were deposited, may have more information about the entity behind these transactions unless intermediaries were used.
While the theory presents an intriguing possibility, BTCparser is careful to note that this remains speculative. “It leads me to suspect that the 2010 megawhale might actually be Satoshi,” the firm said, but emphasized that this is “a theory, not a conclusion.”
This new theory adds to the ongoing mystery surrounding Nakamoto’s identity, with several names—such as Nick Szabo, Adam Back, and Hal Finney—having been frequently linked to the Bitcoin creator. Despite these claims, all three individuals have consistently denied being Nakamoto.
