Bitcoin Sent to Satoshi Nakamoto: The Complete History of Tributes to Bitcoin's Creator
On February 7, 2026, someone sent 2.565 BTC (~$170,000) to Satoshi Nakamoto's address — joining thousands who have paid tribute to Bitcoin's anonymous creator. With 1.1 million BTC across 22,000+ addresses worth ~$72 billion, Satoshi's untouched fortune remains the greatest mystery in cryptocurrency. Here's the complete story.
February 7, 2026: 2.565 BTC Sent to Satoshi's Address
An anonymous user sent 2.565 BTC (approximately $170,000) to one of Satoshi Nakamoto's known addresses. This comes just 3 days after a viral fake screenshot falsely claimed Satoshi moved $1 billion, which was quickly debunked by Arkham Intelligence. The actual tribute joins thousands of similar donations spanning 16 years of Bitcoin history.
Table of Contents
Who is Satoshi Nakamoto?
Satoshi Nakamoto is the pseudonym used by the unknown creator(s) of Bitcoin. On October 31, 2008, Satoshi published the Bitcoin whitepaper titled "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System" to a cryptography mailing list. On January 3, 2009, Satoshi mined the genesis block — Block 0 — launching the Bitcoin network and embedding the famous message from The Times newspaper.
"The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks"
— Message embedded in the Bitcoin genesis block by Satoshi Nakamoto
Satoshi actively developed Bitcoin until mid-2010, communicating exclusively through email and the Bitcointalk forum. The last known communication was an email to developer Mike Hearn in April 2011, where Satoshi wrote "I've moved on to other things." Since then, complete silence — no messages, no transactions, no public statements. Over 16 years of absolute anonymity.
Numerous individuals have been suggested as Satoshi — Hal Finney, Nick Szabo, Adam Back, Craig Wright, and others — but no claim has been definitively proven. The mystery endures, and with it, over 1.1 million BTC sit untouched, a digital treasure rivaling the wealth of the world's richest people.
Satoshi's Bitcoin Fortune — By the Numbers
According to Arkham Intelligence, Satoshi Nakamoto controls approximately 1.1 million BTC across 22,000+ addresses. This makes Satoshi's fortune — even at current reduced prices — larger than the GDP of many countries. Here's how the value has changed over the years:
| Year | BTC Price | Total Value |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | $0.003 | $0 |
| 2013 | $1,100 | $1.2B |
| 2017 | $20,000 | $22B |
| 2021 | $69,000 | $76B |
| 2025 Peak | $122,000 | $135B |
| 2026 Now | ~$65,000 | ~$72B |
Satoshi's fortune dropped from ~$135 billion (2025 peak at $122K/BTC) to ~$72 billion (February 2026 at ~$65K/BTC) — a $60+ billion paper loss without selling a single coin. This makes it one of the largest wealth swings in history.
The Patoshi Pattern — How We Know It's Satoshi
In 2013, blockchain researcher Sergio Demian Lerner discovered a distinctive mining pattern in Bitcoin's early blocks. Due to a privacy flaw in the original Bitcoin client, miners left detectable signatures in the nonce values of the blocks they mined. Lerner identified one dominant pattern — later dubbed the "Patoshi Pattern" — that belonged to a single entity.
This entity mined over 22,000 blocks in Bitcoin's first year, accumulating approximately 1.1 million BTC at 50 BTC per block reward. The pattern is consistent and distinct from all other early miners. Crucially, nearly all coins mined by this entity remain completely unspent — a behavior consistent with Satoshi's known departure from the project.
Estimated Patoshi Mining Activity
Source: Sergio Demian Lerner's Patoshi Pattern research, confirmed by Arkham Intelligence. Figures are estimates based on nonce pattern analysis.
Satoshi's Key Bitcoin Addresses
While Satoshi controlled over 22,000 addresses, a few are historically significant. These addresses are the most-watched in all of cryptocurrency — any movement from them would make global headlines within seconds.
Genesis Block Address (Block 0)
~53 BTC1A1zP1eP5QGefi2DMPTfTL5SLmv7DivfNaThe very first Bitcoin address. The original 50 BTC reward is permanently unspendable due to a quirk in the genesis block code. All balance shown is from tribute donations.
Block 9 Address (First Transaction)
~40 BTC12cbQLTFMXRnSzktFkuoG3eHoMeFtpTu3SThis address sent 10 BTC to Hal Finney on January 12, 2009 — the first-ever Bitcoin person-to-person transaction. Historic significance as proof that Bitcoin works.
Block 1 Address
50 BTC12c6DsiU4Rq3P4ZxziKxzrL5LmMBrzjrJXThe first block after genesis. Unlike Block 0, this 50 BTC reward IS spendable but has never been moved.
Timeline of Tributes & Notable Events
From the genesis block in 2009 to the latest 2.565 BTC tribute in February 2026, here is the complete timeline of notable events related to Bitcoin being sent to and from Satoshi Nakamoto's addresses.
Genesis Block Created
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First Bitcoin Transaction — Satoshi to Hal Finney
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First Tribute Donations Begin
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Massive Tribute Spam
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Satoshi-Era Coins Move (Not Satoshi)
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Largest Known Tribute — $1.2 Million
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$200,000 Transfer After Binance Withdrawal
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$20,000 Mystery Transfer
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Viral Fake Screenshot — "$1B Moved"
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2.565 BTC Tribute — ~$170,000
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Why Do People Send Bitcoin to Satoshi?
Over 49,000 transactions have been sent to the genesis address alone. Some are worth millions of dollars. Why would anyone send Bitcoin to an address that will likely never spend it? Here are the main motivations:
Paying Homage to the Creator
Many treat it as a digital offering — like leaving flowers at a monument. Satoshi invented a technology that enabled financial sovereignty for millions. Sending BTC is a way to say "thank you."
Permanent On-Chain Message
Some senders include OP_RETURN messages in their transactions, embedding text permanently on the Bitcoin blockchain. The genesis address has received messages ranging from love letters to political statements.
Voluntary Bitcoin Burning
Since the genesis block coins can never be spent, sending BTC there is effectively burning it — permanently removing it from circulation. Some believe this makes the remaining supply more scarce and thus more valuable.
Publicity & Attention
Large tributes always make headlines. Some senders may be motivated by the attention their transaction generates — a $1.2 million tribute gets covered by every major crypto publication.
Accidental Transfers
Not all transfers are intentional. The genesis address is one of the most famous Bitcoin addresses, and some transactions may simply be user errors — copying the wrong address from blockchain explorers.
The $72 Billion Question — Satoshi's Untouched Fortune
Satoshi Nakamoto's 1.1 million BTC represents approximately 5.2% of Bitcoin's total 21 million supply cap. At the 2025 peak when Bitcoin reached $122,000, this holding was worth over $135 billion — making Satoshi one of the top 15 wealthiest entities on Earth, surpassing the GDP of countries like Ukraine, Morocco, or Ecuador.
The February 2026 crypto crash saw Bitcoin drop to approximately $65,000, shrinking Satoshi's paper fortune to ~$72 billion — a staggering $60+ billion evaporation without a single coin being sold. This makes it one of the largest wealth swings in financial history.
What makes this truly remarkable is the discipline (or inability) of not touching these coins for 16+ years. Whether Satoshi is alive, deceased, or simply chose to walk away — 1.1 million BTC sitting dormant since 2010 is the longest-held, highest-value unspent cryptocurrency holding in existence.
Satoshi's Fortune Over Time
What If Satoshi Spends? — 4 Scenarios
The movement of even a single Satoshi from a known Patoshi-pattern address would be the biggest event in cryptocurrency history. On February 4, 2026, a fake screenshot claiming Satoshi moved $1B briefly caused market panic before Arkham Intelligence debunked it. Here's what would actually happen:
Market Impact
1.1 million BTC represents ~5.2% of the total Bitcoin supply. If dumped on the market, the sudden supply increase could cause a catastrophic price crash. Even moving coins to an exchange would trigger panic selling and billions in liquidations within minutes.
Psychological Shockwave
Bitcoin's narrative partly relies on Satoshi's absence — a truly decentralized system with no leader. If Satoshi returned and started selling, it would fundamentally challenge Bitcoin's ethos and could undermine institutional confidence built over years.
Identity Revelation
Any movement of Satoshi's coins would trigger the most intense investigation in crypto history. Exchanges would flag the coins, law enforcement would trace the transactions, and the mystery of Bitcoin's creator could finally be solved — for better or worse.
Network Resilience
Despite the chaos, Bitcoin's network itself would continue operating normally. The protocol doesn't care who holds the coins — it only relies on math, cryptography, and consensus. The technology would survive even if confidence temporarily wavers.
Track Satoshi's addresses in real-time on Arkham Intelligence. All 22,000+ known addresses are monitored 24/7. Any movement would trigger instant global alerts.
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Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only. Data about Satoshi Nakamoto's holdings is based on blockchain analysis (Patoshi Pattern) and may not be fully accurate. Address attributions are estimates by researchers and analytics firms like Arkham Intelligence. Links on this page may contain affiliate/referral codes. We may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.