How many bitcoins does the creator of the cryptocurrency own: from the first miner to the eleventh richest person in the world

The creator of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto, remains one of the most mysterious figures in cryptocurrency history. His bitcoins, which he never moved, are now valued at approximately $76 billion as of March 2026. This amount makes him one of the wealthiest people on the planet—potentially richer than Bill Gates, whose fortune is estimated at $115 billion. But why are the creator’s coins so important to the crypto economy, and what risks do they pose to the market?

The Mystery of the First Million: How Satoshi Became Ultra-Rich

Satoshi Nakamoto was not just the developer of Bitcoin—he was the first to mine it. Between January and July 2009, the mysterious founder mined about 1.096 million BTC. At that time, each mined block paid 50 coins, allowing him to accumulate a huge amount of cryptocurrency in a relatively short period.

There’s an interesting theory that Satoshi could have mined much more. However, he apparently intentionally limited his mining activity by controlling computational power. This allowed other miners to join the network and earn rewards for their efforts.

“Patoshi Model”: How a Scientist Tried to Uncover the Secret

Sergio Damian Lerner, a recognized expert in cryptography and security, conducted a detailed study. His report, “Satoshi Nakamoto’s Earned Wealth,” analyzed all blocks from the first to the 36,288th (covering January 1, 2009, to January 25, 2010).

Lerner found that a single mining farm mined thousands of blocks and received about 1 million BTC in rewards. Based on this analysis, he developed the “Patoshi Model”—a scheme showing patterns in the mining process, presumably belonging to the same individual. Since the pattern starts from the very first block, Lerner suggested that “Patoshi” is Satoshi Nakamoto himself.

Why the Creator’s Coins Are Considered Lost: The Biggest Mystery in the Crypto Market

In 2010, Satoshi suddenly cut all ties with the crypto community. Over 15 years have passed since then, but no one has revealed who is behind this pseudonym or what plans the creator has for his bitcoins.

Most participants in the crypto ecosystem believe that Satoshi is no longer alive. This assumption makes sense, as his bitcoins have never been moved. If the developer has indeed passed away, his 1.096 million coins are effectively inaccessible. This means these holdings can be considered permanently lost—an enormous amount of cryptocurrency frozen forever on addresses of a deceased creator.

Status Comparable to Microsoft: How Satoshi Compares to Other Billionaires

According to the analytics platform Arkham, Satoshi’s assets in bitcoins amount to 5.2% of the total cryptocurrency supply. This figure is impressive even compared to the largest corporate holders—MicroStrategy, which has been accumulating bitcoins since August 2020, owns only 2.763% of all issued coins.

If Satoshi’s wealth could be realized at current prices, he would rank eleventh on the global list of the wealthiest people. For context: Bill Gates’ fortune is estimated at around $115 billion. Satoshi’s holdings in bitcoins are roughly two-thirds of that amount.

Market Threat: Why the Crypto Community Fears Satoshi’s Activity

If the creator of BTC ever decided to sell his coins, the cryptocurrency market could face a severe shock. The price of Bitcoin would plummet under the pressure of such a massive supply, triggering widespread panic among investors.

However, most crypto analysts dismiss this scenario. Their confidence is based on the assumption that Satoshi has long since passed away. Therefore, his bitcoins will remain dormant—an eternal reminder of the founder who revolutionized finance but stayed in complete shadow.

There are also alternative theories: some cryptographers believe that no real person named Satoshi Nakamoto ever existed. In their view, Bitcoin was actually created by regulatory agencies. However, these theories remain far from the mainstream consensus of the crypto community.