When it comes to the most bizarre stories in the crypto world, Satoshi Nakamoto definitely tops the list—a name that sounds like a random online alias, yet he holds 1.1 million Bitcoin, now easily worth over $100 billion. The key point is, these coins have never moved from the very beginning.

Let’s rewind to 2008, when the global financial system nearly collapsed and people completely lost faith in banks. At that moment, a Bitcoin whitepaper appeared online, proposing a digital currency system that didn’t rely on banks. The person calling himself Satoshi Nakamoto even emailed people to explain how it worked. The core idea was to use “blockchain” technology so everyone could keep their own records, making it impossible for anyone to tamper with the data or worry about institutions running off with the money.

Back then, no one paid any attention to Bitcoin—a single coin wasn’t even worth a cent. Satoshi mined coins himself, probably just to test the technology, and over time, a few tech geeks joined in. But by 2010? He vanished—no more emails, no posts on forums, not even any technical discussions. Only that pile of Bitcoin was left quietly sitting in his wallet, soaring in value along with the price, but never moving an inch.

Why did he disappear? Theories abound:
Some say it was for the sake of true decentralization—if the founder stepped away, people would focus on the technology itself rather than idolizing one person.
Others believe he foresaw the risks; after all, challenging the traditional financial system could easily get you into trouble.
Another simpler theory is that he was just a geek, satisfied once the code was running, never caring about fame or fortune.

And what about that fortune? That’s an even bigger mystery. Some say if he ever touched it, the on-chain records would instantly expose his identity. Others guess he simply doesn’t care about the money, only enjoying the recognition of his technology. There are even conspiracy theorists who think he might have lost the private keys long ago, making those coins eternal “ghost assets.”

Now, Bitcoin is far from a niche thing—companies treat it as a strategic reserve, and even countries are exploring its applications. But no single person or institution can truly “own” it. Satoshi Nakamoto’s disappearance, in a way, is the perfect ending—it allowed Bitcoin to truly belong to everyone, not just one genius. Perhaps that’s the most radical interpretation of decentralization.