The mysterious Bitcoin founder is now among the world’s 50 richest people

A Bitcoin is now worth over $19,000, so after doing some quick maths, we found out that its mysterious creator, known as Satoshi Nakamoto, is actually the 44th richest person on the planet, according to Forbes’ list, cited by TNW.

However, the biggest problem is that even after eight years, since the cryptocurrency was launched, we still have no idea who this man (or woman, why not) is.

A few people fit the description

Over the past years, a lot of people were suspected to be this Satoshi Nakamoto. Names like cryptography student Michael Clear, Finnish game developer Vili Lehdonvirta, or even a trio identified by Fast Company were vehiculated, but none of them turned out to be him.

However, there was a moment in which his identity was very closed to be revealed. Back in December 2015, businessman Craig Steven Wright got his home raided by the Australian police in Sydney, due to unpaid taxes issues.

It was believed that Mr. Wright was the actual creator of Bitcoin, after analyzing multiple emails, blog posts and transcripts of legal interviews. He even claimed that he is Satoshi Nakamoto, but eventually failed to prove this, as he was unable to cryptographically sign the first block of data generated while growing Bitcoin. And the real Satoshi would’ve been able to do so.

Currently, the founder’s fortune is estimated at 980,000 BTC, which, at today’s price, translates to $19.4 billion, surpassing Saudi investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal and below Laurene Powell Job, the widow of Apple’s co-founder.

He can quickly lose everything!

On the other side, let’s not forget that Bitcoin is extremely volatile, so Satoshi’s net worth could suddenly decrease. Take the latest fluctuation, when the coin’s value dropped to $18,981, automatically bringing his fortune to $18.6 billion, but still managing to keep him on the top 50 list.

Considering this scenario, would this be a good time to start cashing out or should he keep stacking Bitcoins, until the price reaches another high? Let us know what you think, using the comments section below.