Is Jack Dorsey Really the Mysterious Bitcoin Creator? 🤔

On the delightful occasion of February 18, 2025, Matthew Sigel—the mastermind behind Digital Assets Research at VanEck—decided to dive headfirst into the rabbit hole of Bitcoin lore on X (formerly Twitter, because, you know, branding). He boldly claimed that he firmly believes Jack Dorsey is, in fact, the elusive Satoshi Nakamoto. His evidence? Well, he borrowed a hefty dose of it from a fellow entrepreneur, Sean Murray—who coincidentally could be the world’s greatest detective in the realm of armchair speculation.

Now, let’s not overlook a rather intriguing point: many Bitcoin enthusiasts will swear on their digital wallets that part of Bitcoin’s charm is its leaderless and lovelorn existence. So, the quest for the enigmatic creator? It continues, like a never-ending game of digital hide-and-seek!

Sigel, ever the optimistic advocate of wild theories, insists that his pooh-poohing of existing arguments needs some sprucing up and urges others to jump in. Apparently, what he’s offering is more than proof—he’s suggesting a buffet of evidence linking Jack to Satoshi, which includes everything from technical similarities to strange synchronizations, along with a dash of motive and capability. While it might not win the Nobel Prize for definitive proof, it surely opens a can of worms worth further investigation.

Murray, the fellow whose case for Dorsey as Satoshi has led to such rampant speculation, published his findings last year, though whispers of Dorsey’s secret identity floated around even earlier—like the scent of burnt rubber at a NASCAR race. Remember in 2020 when Dorsey denied being Satoshi on the Lex Fridman podcast? Yeah, good times.

Here’s a thrilling Table of Contents to whet your appetite:

What made Sigel think Dorsey is Nakamoto?

In truth, the constellation of findings from Sean Murray turned Sigel into a true believer. Over the course of a year, Murray penned a series of articles for the deCashed website, effectively attempting to rope in skeptical minds with claims that appear to connect Dorsey to Satoshi like a badly put together puzzle.

Some of the most eyebrow-raising evidence? A 1996 photograph of young Dorsey donning an RSA Munition T-shirt designed by a prominent cypherpunk, Adam Back, who, coincidentally, played a pivotal role in Satoshi’s Bitcoin creation process. Talk about a fashion statement!

My source material (not exhaustive) for Jack being a cypherpunk and wearing an Adam Back t-shirt in 1996:

I’ll get to the rest

— Seán Murray (@financeguy74) February 17, 2025

Dorsey was a programming whiz, never shy about his love for C coding—the language that shaped the very fabric of Bitcoin. Interestingly enough, in 1998, “young Jack” hopped aboard the dispatch company DNet, where online payments were more than just a curious thought in a tech-savvy mind.

Oh, and let’s not forget the plot twist where Dorsey got booted from his CEO throne during the early Twitter days for indulging too much in his hobbies—unbeknownst to him, Satoshi was busy crafting Bitcoin behind the curtain.

Consider this delightful coincidence: when Square’s website launched, it had two blue squares on its logo. Fancy that—just two days later, Nakamoto mentioned blue squares while brainstorming potential Bitcoin logos. It’s as if the two were long-lost twins separated at birth, don’t you think?

In March 2011, Dorsey received the title of Executive Chair at Twitter while still reigning as Square’s head honcho. And in a final flourish, Nakamoto wrote his mysterious last message shortly thereafter, claiming he was “off to other things”—a.k.a., probably searching for a decent croissant in Paris while basking in obscurity.

Since then, Dorsey has been a charity advocate for Bitcoin, making Square a pioneer in accepting the digital gold.

Now, here’s another juicy tidbit: Murray suggests that Satoshi’s email got hacked in 2014, revealing that our mysterious friend subscribed to PYMNTS.com, a publication that would only later discover Bitcoin’s existence. But wait, here’s the kicker—a receipt screenshot surfaced, sent to a St. Louis address. Coincidence? You bet! That’s where Dorsey hails from and where some of his childhood friends still reside.

In 2022, Dorsey didn’t just sit around sipping lattes; he established a Bitcoin Legal Defense Fund to fend off Craig Wright’s ludicrous claims of being the Bitcoin originator.

As a cherry on top, this whole theory is bolstered by Dorsey’s documented interests in cypherpunk cultures and cryptography—plus, his kudos for Neal Stephenson’s books, which just happen to feature in Nakamoto’s Bitcoin address. How poetic! 🥳

Not to mention, Dorsey has an impressive fascination with Japan that aligns with Satoshi’s epoch of cryptographic fame. Together, they could’ve been socializing over sushi as Satoshi crept into the digital spotlight!

Weak spots

Now, let’s dive into the entertaining smorgasbord of Murray’s other arguments. Some are surprisingly convincing, while others might land you a reserved seat in a loony bin. One could argue that Murray appears more on a treasure hunt for coincidences than for any semblance of truth. For example, he often decodes acronyms hidden in Satoshi’s transaction hashes or scours dates of Dorsey’s tweets like an overzealous detective in an amateur film.

More numerological coincidences

— matthew sigel, recovering CFA (@matthew_sigel) February 18, 2025

Did I mention that Dorsey resides at 2 Mint Plaza, closely associated with the U.S. Mint? Apparently, this too is a wink towards Bitcoin’s early transactions.

Is there a message in Satoshi’s Early Transactions?

— matthew sigel, recovering CFA (@matthew_sigel) February 18, 2025

Murray even tries to co-opt the graphic novel *Hacktivist*—crafted by Dorsey’s friend Alyssa Milano—as further proof of the Satoshi-Dorsey connection! The protagonist bears a striking resemblance to both figures. What a coincidence—much like your uncle suddenly being related to the Queen!

Jack’s good friend Alyssa Milano wrote a book “Hacktivist” about a billionaire founder living a secret life as an elite hacker.

— matthew sigel, recovering CFA (@matthew_sigel) February 18, 2025

Why was Sigel criticized for his claims?

For all the Bitcoin enthusiasts (you know, the same folks who practically revere Bitcoin like it’s their firstborn), Sigel has a rather quaint response to those lamenting the potential deanonymization of Satoshi. He asserts that if Jack is indeed Satoshi, it’s delightful news for the market. Why? Because it means that Satoshi’s *dubious* $1.1 million holdings are securely tucked away instead of being juggled carelessly by fate.

🤝.
Personally I don’t think it goes against Bitcoin ethos to search for Satoshi.
Company CEOs and other very rich people face similar security risks.
And there are questions that he could answer to mitigate community fears.

— matthew sigel, recovering CFA (@matthew_sigel) February 18, 2025

To add icing to this crypto cake, Sigel argues that while CEOs carry a set of risks with their companies, they also hold the potential to calm community jitters. Clearly, he’s no stranger to the turbulent waters of public opinion.

In the spirit of the cypherpunks, my professional advice is that you STFU.

— Jameson Lopp (@lopp) February 18, 2025

However, the backlash has not been gentle. Many supporters trumpet the notion that Bitcoin operates sans a CEO, basking in the freedom of anarchy (woo!). After all, the philosophy hinges on a communal drive, where no single figure can hold the reins or sway the market with a golden touch.

These days, anyone with even a whiff of knowledge about crypto seems inclined to attack Vitalik Buterin, mistakenly vilifying him as a socialist, while others ridicule Ripple for its shady XRP dealings. The beauty of ambiguity remains intact, as long as Satoshi Nakamoto stays in the shadows, out of reach of eager fingers and wild speculation. But make no mistake; the hunt will continue, with dogged zeal.

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2025-02-21 01:45