Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin who disappeared after a 2011 sign-off, may have one more act to play — at least according to a speculative theory from SharpLink Gaming co-CEO Joseph Chalom. Chalom told Decrypt he suspects the founder might re-emerge if Bitcoin faces an existential threat from quantum computing.
Quantum computers could, in theory, undermine current public-key cryptography used by Bitcoin wallets. That possibility has sparked community discussions about how to quantum-proof the network, from a protocol hard fork to proposals to freeze wallets that appear especially vulnerable.
Chalom framed his idea as a thought experiment rather than a claim. He suggested that when the network reaches a “quantum moment,” high-stakes decisions about standards, encryption and dormant wallets will be unavoidable. “There’ll be decisions about whether you need to hard fork the protocol [and] what you do with wallets that are dormant,” he said, adding that some dormant accounts could suddenly become vocal to protect billions of dollars’ worth of BTC.
Analysts identify a cluster of wallets attributed to Satoshi via the Patoshi Pattern. According to Arkham data cited by Chalom’s interview, those addresses hold about 1.096 million BTC — roughly $121.9 billion at the time of reporting — a stash that places the unknown creator among the world’s richest figures by some estimates.
Any reappearance — whether posting from old addresses or reactivating Bitcointalk or email accounts — would not necessarily reveal a real-world identity, but it could strongly influence community choices about upgrades and asset governance. Readers should note this is speculative: reactivating large, dormant wallets could trigger market volatility and legal or governance disputes.
Theories about Satoshi’s identity have swirled for years, from early developers to public figures. Media attempts, including a 2024 HBO documentary that pointed to developer Peter Todd, have not produced consensus. For now, the creator remains anonymous — but the prospect that quantum risk could change that keeps the conversation alive.
Source: Decrypt. Read the original coverage for full details.
