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The finding
Roughly 1,000,000 bitcoin minted by Satoshi Nakamoto have never moved since the network launched on January 3, 2009.
The original whitepaper was published on October 31, 2008.
The genesis block hardcoded the London Times headline from January 3, 2009.
The identity behind the pseudonym remains unverified by cryptographic proof.
The search for who created bitcoin satoshi nakamoto leads to a strictly bounded historical record. On October 31, 2008, a paper titled "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System" was posted to a cryptography mailing list under the name Satoshi Nakamoto.
The network software went live on January 3, 2009, when the genesis block was mined. Inside block zero, Nakamoto embedded a text string reading: "The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks."
On January 12, 2009, Nakamoto executed the first transaction on the network by sending 10 bitcoin to Hal Finney. Nakamoto actively collaborated with developers online until late 2010 before transferring project control and stepping away completely.
Worth knowing
Cryptographic ownership of an address is proven only by signing a message with its private key or spending from it.
Public blockchain data documents early network activity with absolute transparency. Pattern analysis of the earliest block rewards indicates that a single miner, widely identified as Nakamoto, accumulated roughly 1,000,000 bitcoin.
None of these coins have moved since they were minted. Every address associated with this early mining block remains dormant on the public ledger.
Many public figures and researchers have claimed or assigned identity attributions over the years. However, attribution remains unestablished because no candidate has ever signed a public message using the private keys of the earliest blocks.
Where this goes wrong
Accepting identity claims without signatures from genesis-era private keys exposes researchers to false historical assumptions.
While Nakamoto's coins remain motionless, modern derivative venues trade billions in bitcoin perpetual futures daily. Current 24-hour volume for BTC perpetuals across primary exchanges stands at $3,915,139,453.
Traders holding open BTC positions pay or receive funding fees every 8 hours. Rates vary across exchanges based on order book balance and venue mechanics.
| Venue | 8h BTC Funding | Futures Maker Fee | Futures Taker Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| OKX | +0.0059% | 0.0200% | 0.0500% |
| Bitget | +0.0086% | 0.0200% | 0.0300% |
| Bybit | +0.0088% | 0.0200% | 0.0550% |
| MEXC | +0.0100% | 0.0000% | 0.0200% |
The current spread between the lowest long funding rate (OKX at +0.0059%) and the highest (MEXC at +0.0100%) is 0.0041 percentage points per 8-hour settlement.
What to do instead
Calculate net holding costs over long horizons by factoring 8-hour funding rate spreads alongside taker fee schedules.
Holding a 100,000 USD long BTC perpetual contract demonstrates how these venue differences accumulate. At 8-hour settlement intervals, a trader settles funding 90 times across a 30-day period.
On OKX, where funding is +0.0059% per 8 hours, a 100,000 USD long position pays 5.90 USD per interval. Over 30 days, total funding paid equals 531 USD.
On MEXC, where funding is +0.0100% per 8 hours, the same 100,000 USD position pays 10.00 USD per interval. Over 30 days, total funding paid equals 900 USD.
Holding the position on MEXC costs 369 USD more in funding over 30 days than on OKX. Taker execution fees on entry add 50 USD on OKX versus 20 USD on MEXC.
Bitcoin was created under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, who published the whitepaper on October 31, 2008. The creator's true identity remains unverified as no early private key has ever signed a public attestation.
On-chain analysis indicates roughly 1,000,000 bitcoin were accumulated across early blocks in 2009. These coins have never moved from their original payout addresses.
The first bitcoin transaction occurred on January 12, 2009, when Satoshi Nakamoto sent 10 bitcoin to developer Hal Finney. This verified transaction confirmed peer-to-peer transfers following the genesis block launch.
OKX currently has the lowest BTC perp funding rate at +0.0059% per 8-hour interval. MEXC charges the highest long funding among major venues at +0.0100%.