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Is GWU Econ Prof. Nick Szabo Satoshi Nakamoto?

Pseudonymous Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto (whether that name represents one person or several) is believed to hold many millions of dollars in Bitcoin. Various attempts have been made to pin down Nakamoto's identity; the IB Times reports today that a (sadly anonymous) analysis points to George Washington University economics professor Nick Szabo, based on textual analysis and some other clues, such as Szabo's expertise in digital currency and his role as founder of GoldCoin. Szabo's blog Unenumerated is fascinating reading, whether or not this analysis is right.

120 comments

  1. No.. by TeknoHog · · Score: 4, Funny

    ..I am Satoshi Nakamoto.

    --
    Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
    1. Re:No.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      No. *I* am Satoshi Nakamoto

    2. Re:No.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nick is that you?

    3. Re:No.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, I am Sparticus....I mean Satoshi Nakamoto.

    4. Re:No.. by TeknoHog · · Score: 1

      Nick is that you?

      No that's not me... wait.. I didn't post the GP, it looks like someone Nicked my account...

      --
      Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
    5. Re:No.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Anyone remember this TV series?

    6. Re:No.. by Chris+Mattern · · Score: 2

      No, *I* am Satoshi Nakamoto, and so's my wife!

    7. Re:No.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, I'm Charles Ponzi.

    8. Re:No.. by dale.furno · · Score: 2

      No, I am Cheezburger Brown

    9. Re:No.. by bazorg · · Score: 2

      I am Tiger Woods.

    10. Re:No.. by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 1

      You've just szabotaged your own joke.

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    11. Re:No.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I am Brian and so is my wife!

    12. Re:No.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just don't get us mass crucified.

    13. Re:No.. by Teancum · · Score: 1

      The only real way to confirm somebody is Satoshi is to log into the Bitcoin forums, use Satoshi's acccount, and "reveal" who they are. Then again, that might just be done by hacking into the forums (although the passwords are hash-encoded.... so it is a bit harder).

      The main problem is that Satoshi has dropped off the radar and hasn't posted for a long, long time.... hence the speculation.

      Otherwise, your claim is as good as mine and perhaps even stronger.

    14. Re:No.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Will the real Satoshi Nakamoto please stand up.

    15. Re:No.. by Forty+Two+Tenfold · · Score: 0

      I am Stoned Too!

      --
      Upward mobility is a slippery slope - the higher you climb the more you show your ass.
    16. Re:No.. by MickyTheIdiot · · Score: 1

      Howard Johnson is right!

    17. Re:No.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      BA ba-ba BA ba-BA ba-BAAAAAA!

    18. Re:No.. by Skal+Tura · · Score: 1

      If he'd sign a message using the wallet that is known to be owned by him...

    19. Re:No.. by Pseudonym · · Score: 1

      If you ask me, people should always use their real names online.

      --
      sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f(q{sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f});
  2. Makes perfect sense.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Nick Szabo is an anagram for A Biz Con

    1. Re:Makes perfect sense.... by nitehawk214 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Nick Szabo is an anagram for A Biz Con

      Close, try

      A Biz Conks
      Cask Biz On
      Cask Biz No
      Sack Biz On
      Sack Biz No
      An Biz Sock
      Ask Biz Con
      As Biz Conk

      But my favorite is:
      Ska Biz Con

      --
      I'm a good cook. I'm a fantastic eater. - Steven Brust
    2. Re:Makes perfect sense.... by VortexCortex · · Score: 1

      Sick boanz?

      Zab no sick,
      I nok scabz --
      Za sock bin...

      O, ick, nasz B!

      K, I can sobz?

      No, sick baz.
      Zis no cab, K?
      Ban sick-O'z.

      K. C siz o bank?

      OK, C. Biznas!

    3. Re:Makes perfect sense.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nick Szabo is actually an anagram for "zaks b-coin" revealing that this "Zak" is the true owner of the stockpile

    4. Re:Makes perfect sense.... by egcagrac0 · · Score: 1

      Let's not forget: Zik's Bacon

  3. Its the NSA... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...really people, we all know who the crypto guys are that require a traceable currency in a digital age.

    1. Re:Its the NSA... by ArcadeMan · · Score: 1

      Well, thank you NSA for creating the weapon that will kill PayPal and credit cards.

  4. Rumor says by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Satoshi Nakamoto is Tyler Durden

    1. Re:Rumor says by Captain+Hook · · Score: 2

      I have never once seen Satoshi Nakamoto dumpster diving outside a liposuction clinic.

      --
      These comments are my personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the other voices in my head.
    2. Re:Rumor says by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Satoshi Nakamoto is Tyler Durden

      Idiot, Tyler Durden is Cornelius.

    3. Re:Rumor says by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I have.

    4. Re:Rumor says by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, he's Keyser Söze.

    5. Re:Rumor says by bob_super · · Score: 1

      Everyone knows that Satoshi Nakamoto is The Stig.

    6. Re:Rumor says by MickyTheIdiot · · Score: 2

      Roddy McDowall was AWSOME wearing that ape suit and playing Satoshi Nakamoto. How can anyone not agree?

    7. Re:Rumor says by billstewart · · Score: 1

      Actually, Stig Hackvan died a week or two ago. Wasn't him.

      --

      Bill Stewart
      New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
  5. TD = zombie by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    given:
    1. In project Mayhem, we have no names.
    2. Tyler Durden's name is Tyler Durden.
    one can logically conclude?

  6. SAY MY NAME by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    SAY MY NAME!

  7. So you're saying... by thatkid_2002 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Satoshi helped found a completely un-innovative Litecoin derivative? I think that just about invalidates the analysis.

    1. Re:So you're saying... by luciano.moretti · · Score: 1

      Diversifying his portfolio.

      Betting entirely on Bitcoins as becoming the de-facto virtual currency is risky.

    2. Re:So you're saying... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      You'd think he'd diversify into traditional investments, or a range of cryptocurrencies with actually noteworthy features like Peercoin, Primecoin, or Zerocoin. Not yet another alt coin clone with absolutely nothing creative at all.

      I'd suspect it was Satoshi if he blew us all away with in-chain smart contracts, not just following the botnet-friendly Scrypt crowd.

    3. Re:So you're saying... by aliquis · · Score: 1

      Betting on the latest started up one because "Bitcoins have become so expensive already! This one is cheap!" seem like a worse idea.

    4. Re:So you're saying... by Jeng · · Score: 1

      It is one of the oldest ploys in the book.

      You never suspect the genius when he acts like a buffoon.

      --
      Don't know something? Look it up. Still don't know? Then ask.
    5. Re:So you're saying... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That ploy doesn't work against an unlimited budget. Everyone involved, buffoons included, gets added to the list of suspects. Once a suspect, all of their internet traffic starts getting recorded and analyzed. Every suspect makes a mistake eventually.

  8. I know! by Nidi62 · · Score: 1

    Satoshi Nakamoto is people!

    --
    The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
  9. Honestly? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Does it even matter? Have we not better, more enlightening topics to discuss. This is click bait, which, sadly, I have taken to comment upon.

    1. Re:Honestly? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Does it even matter? Have we not better, more enlightening topics to discuss. This is click bait, which, sadly, I have taken to comment upon.

      Ain't you any curious then?

  10. proof in the coin by schneidafunk · · Score: 3, Interesting

    We'll find out who he is when the original bitcoins are used. In the meantime, an anonymous blogger making speculative claims is not really news.

    --
    Some people die at 25 and aren't buried until 75. -Benjamin Franklin
    1. Re:proof in the coin by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Can you elaborate on how using the coin will reveal the true identity of the person currently holding them?

    2. Re:proof in the coin by ThatsMyNick · · Score: 1

      How do know the original coins are being used?

    3. Re:proof in the coin by schneidafunk · · Score: 2

      It's referred to as the 'genesis block', which was created by Satoshi Nakamoto. So far, those bitcoins have not been circulated and are still 'owned' by Satoshi Nakamoto. He could come out of obscurity tomorrow by using one of those bitcoins and adding a message to it.

      --
      Some people die at 25 and aren't buried until 75. -Benjamin Franklin
  11. no... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    in death, we are all Satoshi Nakamoto

  12. occupy space by Thud457 · · Score: 1

    If his name is known, then the FBI can cast a spell of COINTELPRO on his ass.

    --

    the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

    1. Re:occupy space by noh8rz10 · · Score: 3, Funny

      appropriately for the topic, this reads as COIN-TELPRO

  13. a story from ibtimes...wtff by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Seriously...someone pulled a story from the pathetic gossip news site that does nothing but publish articles with inflammatory click bait headlines that either say nothing or almost nothing, but always without any fuckin sources to back them up. Great job, idiots.

  14. Is he what? by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 5, Funny

    Is GWU Econ Prof. Nick Szabo Satoshi Nakamoto?

    Is GWU Econ Prof. Nick Szabo Satoshi Nakamoto what? Apart from of mixed Hungarian and Japanese descent...

    --
    systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
    1. Re:Is he what? by DroolTwist · · Score: 1

      Is GWU Econ Prof. Nick Szabo Satoshi Nakamoto?

      Is GWU Econ Prof. Nick Szabo Satoshi Nakamoto what? Apart from of mixed Hungarian and Japanese descent...

      Hunganese?

    2. Re:Is he what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      he say you brade runner.

    3. Re:Is he what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Is GWU Econ Prof. Nick Szabo Satoshi Nakamoto what? Apart from of mixed Hungarian and Japanese descent...

      Hunganese?

      Given that the Japanese people call themselves Nihonjin, and being less Eurocentric about deciding which name to place first, being Nihon + Hungarian would make him a Ni(*a bell rings*)

    4. Re:Is he what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Is GWU Econ Prof. Nick Szabo Satoshi Nakamoto what?

      OK, the joke was that was all one person with a lot of names. I honestly didn't get it at first, since the question was clearly grammatically correct, and I'm a Grammar Nazi.

    5. Re:Is he what? by maxwell+demon · · Score: 1

      Is GWU Econ Prof. Nick Szabo Satoshi Nakamoto what?

      OK, the joke was that was all one person with a lot of names. I honestly didn't get it at first, since the question was clearly grammatically correct, and I'm a Grammar Nazi.

      Stop being a Grammar Nazi. It's outdated. Today we have Grammar Jihadists. ;-)

      --
      The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
  15. Can they prove it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Originating article here, since /. mods, and submitters, have issues...

    "Reverse textual analysis" was used to identify the Econ prof. Ok. While I've heard of this before, namely to out J.K. Rowlings pen name, it's highly dubious that this could be used as a legal tool to 'get' to him. Unless there's some solid physical proof here, not 'generated results', this is conjecture.

    Someone smart enough to 'create' bitcoin, just might be smart enough to know the value of anonymity, and that reverse analysis might be used to later identify them. Depends on your level of risk and paranoia I presume...

  16. If I had to guess who the founder of bitcoin was.. by idioto · · Score: 3, Funny

    When I hear about bitcoin's founder I am reminded of a homeless man I met in Palo Alto in the 1990's, in his 30's or 40's. He used to stand on the street chanting weird things and you would think he was insane, which he was. But if you talked to him, you'd realize he was pretty smart too. Anyhow, he told me about how he was getting his P.H.D. in Economics from Yale, but they rejected his thesis which was basically about private currency, as his professors equated it with counterfeiting and he subsequently went semi-mad according to him. This guy was a smart homeless guy but also a little crazy, his shopping cart had various gadgets powered by car battery, and I think there was a reason he was hanging out in the valley at that time. Find him, and you will find the creator of bitcoin.

  17. 5 bitcons sez he is by Mister+Liberty · · Score: 1

    So what.
     

  18. No by porksauce · · Score: 3, Funny

    According to Betteridge's Law, any news headline in the form of a question can be answered "No." Therefore we know it's not Nick Szabo.

    1. Re:No by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Coming up on Slashdot next: "Can every headline question be answered No?"

    2. Re:No by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh lovely, nice one! But no paradox there, let me answer that: No (some can be answered with "nein" if it's in german, "niet" if in dutch", "нÐÑ" if in russian, "não" if in portuguese, "ããã" in japanese, and so on).

    3. Re:No by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh lovely, nice one!
      But no paradox there, let me answer that:

      No (some can be answered with "nein" if it's in german, "niet" if in dutch", "нÐÑ" if in russian, "não" if in portuguese, "ããã" in japanese, and so on).

      There is indeed no paradox, "no" is the correct answer.

      On languages: "niet" in Dutch means "not", "no" would be "neen". I'll correct your other language mistakes as soon as /. supports Unicode.

    4. Re:No by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Alternate Headline:

      Is Satoshi Nakamoto someone other than GWU Econ Prof. Nick Szabo?

    5. Re:No by maxwell+demon · · Score: 1

      And the correct answer is, of course, "no".

      Case in point: "How Much Is Oracle To Blame For Healthcare IT Woes?" is a headline question which cannot be answered with "no".

      --
      The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
    6. Re:No by maxwell+demon · · Score: 1

      Slashdot does support Unicode. Just a very limited subset of all characters.

      --
      The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
    7. Re:No by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Go make a Facebook account with a Chinese name and try to login in here, then use the internal server error to decide if /. supports Unicode or not.

  19. rss for blog? by SkunkPussy · · Score: 1

    Is there an rss link for that blog? I can't find it.

    --
    SURELY NOT!!!!!
    1. Re:rss for blog? by xaxa · · Score: 1

      http://unenumerated.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

      (A LINK rel="alternate" in the HTML head element. Opera shows an icon in the address bar, I'm sure some other browsers do too.)

    2. Re:rss for blog? by SkunkPussy · · Score: 1

      Thank you kindly.

      --
      SURELY NOT!!!!!
  20. Re:sAtoSHi by noh8rz10 · · Score: 1

    and bronies

  21. Does it really matter? by tlhIngan · · Score: 2

    I mean, The Winklevoss twins (of Facebook fame - yes those two) have claimed repeatedly that they own around 10% of all bitcoins out there spread through various safe storage locations.

    If that's true (that would be around 2M bitcoins), that would put their holdings at over $2B.

    1. Re:Does it really matter? by Captain_Chaos · · Score: 1

      that would be around 2M bitcoins

      I think it's safe to assume that they meant 10% of all currently existing bitcoins, which, if true, would currently amount to around 1.2 million bitcoins.

    2. Re:Does it really matter? by Tyler+Eaves · · Score: 1

      On paper, but kinda not really. Trying to cash out even 1% of those would have the price under $100.

      --
      TODO: Something witty here...
  22. Not an econ prof. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Not on GWU's faculty roster. Also, no evidence that he ever held the title of professor in the GWU economics department. May the Google be with you.

  23. Don't even try by slashmydots · · Score: 3, Interesting

    We were wondering if he was Satoshi...2-3 years ago on the bitcoin forums. It's so comical how the rest of the web is playing catch up and pretending like these are new discoveries.

    1. Re:Don't even try by billstewart · · Score: 1

      The arguments for Nick being Satoshi, other than the fact that he's one of the few dozen people with the skills and interests to do the design right, came down to

      • "he uses this set of technical terms, and so does Satoshi" and
      • "he also uses a few other sets of phrasing in his academic papers that Satoshi uses" and
      • "pay no attention to the US-vs-UK spelling differences."

      But the technical terms that the current speculation mentions are all standard terms in the field, like "trusted third party" (which was probably used more 5-10 years ago than today), "timestamp" used as a verb (common), "timestamp service" (there have been some done by crypto people like Stu Haber, and it's a well-understood concept.) The general language choices are mostly using passive phrasing like lots of academic papers do; you could argue that Satoshi is probably either an academic now, or has been one once, or learned English in an academic environment (i.e. learned it in college if he's actually Japanese.)

      It's more likely that Satoshi is really Nick than that he's really David Chaum, but unless Nick admits to it in public or suddenly starts using his billions of dollars worth of bitcoins to build an Evil Genius Secret Headquarters, it'd be rude to hassle him about it even if you think it's true. (Also, in the latter case, you'd be saying that Nick isn't capable of maintaining his disguise as a mild-mannered academic while also secretly building his Secret Headquarters, and saying that "We can't tell who's really building this Secret Headquarters so it must be Nick!" doesn't really cut it.)

      --

      Bill Stewart
      New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
  24. Why hide? by jones_supa · · Score: 2

    What is the motivation to hide behind a pseudonym as the creator of Bitcoin?

    1. Re:Why hide? by Nyder · · Score: 3, Insightful

      What is the motivation to hide behind a pseudonym as the creator of Bitcoin?

      I can think of a few things. Reporters bothering you, other idiots bothering you. Become a target for people to steal your bitcoins. Government might become more interested in you (NSA). And worse, relatives asking for money because they think you are rich.

      Ya, I think I'd stay anonymous also.

      --
      Be seeing you...
    2. Re:Why hide? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Maybe he anticipated becoming a target like E-gold?
      And just earlier this year, with Liberty Reserve...
      The United States charged founder Arthur Budovsky and six others with money laundering and operating an unlicensed financial transaction company.

      You'd HOPE the federal government would have the decency to not prosecute a developer who isn't "operating" anything, just coding. But I wouldn't bet my life on it.

    3. Re:Why hide? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      It may also be part of the social design of Bitcoin: people may be slower to adopt a cryptocurrency if they know the identity of the obscenely rich creator.

    4. Re:Why hide? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How stupid do you have to be to ask that question?

    5. Re:Why hide? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Bitcoin was created by NSA. Your computer is not solving any complex puzzle competing with others, it is just NSA supplied data that your computer does deep packet analysis of. The coins are not "awarded" or competed for, it is just the hook NSA gives you so you share your computational resources.

      Laugh as much as you can, but this is the real truth - it is not useless calculations, it is actually doing work for somebody else.

    6. Re:Why hide? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Avoiding gitmo.

    7. Re:Why hide? by SEE · · Score: 1

      Well, mostly, because this way people don't send me fundraising letters.

    8. Re:Why hide? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'd mod you "+1, Nice Hat" if NSA didn't take all of my mod points.

    9. Re:Why hide? by Vintermann · · Score: 1

      Have you looked at the block chain records of the richest people in bitcoin?

      You can attach messages to transfers, and these people are spammed to death with microscopic transactions with begging messages added.

      I wish people spamming me would attach pennies.

      --
      xkcd is not in the sudoers file. This incident will be reported.
  25. Is this the Geek Enquirer? by phorm · · Score: 1

    NO? Then how about we stick to news (for nerds) and not unfounded speculations from random blogs.

    1. Re:Is this the Geek Enquirer? by Jeng · · Score: 1

      Slashdot was founded on the unfounded speculations from random blogs.

      --
      Don't know something? Look it up. Still don't know? Then ask.
  26. Re:sAtoSHi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why do I read "Satoshi" and think "Ash"? True, it comes from Pokemon but it makes sense in Bitcoin as well, as the smallest division of a bitcoin is called a "satoshi", and guess what the smallest particle of combusted plant matter is called.

    Because in the Japanese version, Ash was named Satoshi... :P
    And, Misty was Kasumi. (Kasumi = Mist).

  27. I've seen that movie by Sqr(twg) · · Score: 1

    It's Kevin Spacey.

  28. Satoshi Nakamoto didn't develop Bitcoin... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ... it was another guy named Satoshi Nakamoto.

    1. Re:Satoshi Nakamoto didn't develop Bitcoin... by maxwell+demon · · Score: 1

      I think you mean "another guy who also wasn't named Satoshi Nakamoto".

      Although thinking of it, maybe his name really is Satoshi Nakamoto, and he made up that pseudonym story so that no one would guess he was the one who created Bitcoin; after all, who would use his own name as pseudonym?

      --
      The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
  29. Re:sAtoSHi by Nyder · · Score: 1

    nothing says creepy like an adult pokemon fan

    Ya, i creep myself out at times.

    --
    Be seeing you...
  30. Re:sAtoSHi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    and pederasts, though I suspect pokemon fan/pedo venn diagram just looks like a circle.

  31. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 2

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  32. i knew it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    when bit coin first came out i turned to my wife and said "this looks like tekno hog to me"

    she said "no it is not tekno hog" and then laughed at me

    well who is laughing now

  33. Re:If I had to guess who the founder of bitcoin wa by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I knew a mad physicist. He had finished his thesis and his "troubles" began in middle age. He could talk to you cogently and intelligently about almost any subject. But don't ask him about the ghosts at the end of the block conspiring against him, or why he sleeps in the bushes.

    Actually, he only sometimes slept in the bushes. Some kind family member or friend would often put him up for the night. He looked like he lived in a dumpster, but actually smelled very clean, and had the whitest, most perfect teeth I'd ever seen (not dentures or caps, though... not _that_ perfect).

    I sometimes thought he might be a Yogi or something, being of Indian descent. Or maybe Jesus incarnate.

  34. Re:If I had to guess who the founder of bitcoin wa by idioto · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Yeah, I had my comment moderated as funny, which it is, but I'm serious about this guy if I had to pick someone I've met in my life it would be him (and I know a guy who has the Nobel Prize in Economics). But there are a few street people who are maybe so smart they get hay-wired.

    This guy used to stand in alley with his eyes rolled up, between the bookstore and the music shop chanting "Help me gus! Save us gus!" I used to think he was saying God, not gus, but I asked him about it. I actually didn't know he could talk at all, but I worked at the music store, and he came in, and I thought I was going to have to call the police. Then he talked normally and spoke well, and I asked him about what he was doing. He clarified his chant, sort of, at least as far as what he was saying. He wanted to buy something for his recording studio, which was a tape 4 track and other stuff that was in his shopping cart, which he showed me. I was in high school then, and I dealt with him a few times, and I think he told me about his education because I complimented his intelligence (I don't normally do that, but relative to homeless people I knew, he was smart, just crazy) and maybe I just probed people better then. Anyhow, he told me about his thesis, which me talking about is almost like the tenacious D song where it's a tribute to the greatest song in the world. I didn't really have the capacity to understand it all then (I was in H.S. talking to a mad partial PHD) so I can't spit it out verbatim, but he had me convinced at the conclusion, even perhaps the state of his condition, by virtue of his passion and reasoning despite the general premise behind his hypothesis seemed flawed to me then, and it had driven him in to exile, and he chose to go to Palo Alto for whatever reason. I don't know if he knows how to program. Maybe he learned on the mean streets.

  35. Re:If I had to guess who the founder of bitcoin wa by Eunuchswear · · Score: 1

    I know a guy who has the Nobel Prize in Economics

    No you don't.

    --
    Watch this Heartland Institute video
  36. Re:sAtoSHi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    surely not all pederasts are pokemon fans?

  37. So... by DrPBacon · · Score: 1

    Did anyone think to ask this guy directly before posting an article about him?

    --
    Spent All My Mod Points
  38. Re:If I had to guess who the founder of bitcoin wa by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yeah, I had my comment moderated as funny, which it is, but I'm serious about this guy

    Your name here isn't helping with that...

  39. Re:If I had to guess who the founder of bitcoin wa by flargleblarg · · Score: 1

    I thought your story was going to go like this...

    When I hear about bitcoin's founder I am reminded of a homeless man I met in Palo Alto in the 1990's, in his 30's or 40's. He used to stand on the street chanting weird things and you would think he was insane, which he was. But if you talked to him, you'd realize he was pretty smart too. Anyhow, he told me about how he was getting his P.H.D. in Economics from Yale, but they rejected his thesis which was basically about private currency, as his professors equated it with counterfeiting and he subsequently went semi-mad according to him. This guy was a smart homeless guy but also a little crazy, his shopping cart had various gadgets powered by car battery, and I think there was a reason he was hanging out in the valley at that time. Find him, and you will find the creator of bitcoin. Anyway, after he was all done telling me this, he looked intently at me and said, "By the way, can you spare some change? I need about tree fiddy."

  40. Of course he'd say no by billstewart · · Score: 1

    If the person you want to write about is the real Satoshi, he'd obviously say no.
    If the person you want to write about the real Satoshi, he'd probably also say no. He might also ask you not to hassle him.

    --

    Bill Stewart
    New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
    1. Re:Of course he'd say no by Zeinfeld · · Score: 1

      I thought he was you actually.

      In the future everyone will be Satoshi Nakamoto for 15 minutes.

      --
      Looking for an Information Security student project suggestion?
      Try http://dotcrimeManifesto.com/
  41. Re:If I had to guess who the founder of bitcoin wa by thatkid_2002 · · Score: 1
    Oh yeah, Zed Shaw saw that guy today. https://twitter.com/zedshaw/status/408018099284090880

    Asian guy with dreds walks in with a car battery and a charger, sits down, plugs the charger in, and hangs out while the battery charges.

  42. Re:sAtoSHi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I think of the stuttering psycho from Higurashi. It's a good connection, because you'd have to have a brain parasite to think that Bitcoin is worth anything.

  43. Re:sAtoSHi by Luyseyal · · Score: 1

    Seemed relevant to your interests:

    silly image here

    -l

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  44. Can the real slim shady.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I think there's a reason he hasn't come forward. Would You want to stand up and claim ownership of the ponzi scheme that is scamcoin?

    It's probably a handle created by the NSA, to trick techy hipster basement ponies who worship anything Japanese. It might be a good thing that those emo's are losing their money.

  45. Re:If I had to guess who the founder of bitcoin wa by Skal+Tura · · Score: 1

    Yea, genius and madness tend to go hand in hand - same traits cause both. There's been research into it, and if i recall right they pretty much concluded it's almost like flip sides of a coin.

    History shows us as well, many geniuses of our past were... A bit out of their mind, but because of that they are also geniuses -> they think about things no one else would, they see those things differently and approach differently.

    I believe part of the reason genius minds go a bit mad, or some genius persons seems very obnoxious is because everyone else seems to stupid, and it gets so insanely frustfrating when people cannot understand what seems basic logic from the POV of the genius, and you have to deal with it every single F* day, but from the POV of the genius there is just so many morons.

    Bottomline is - if they are a bit out of their mind, or seemingly completely bonkers - we should be glad and thankfull, because that is the person who is likely to come to a solution to a very hard problem concerning few or many, pushing our civilization forwards.
    Also because people fight against them calling "bullshit" at their "crazy inventions", they have to proof beyond shadow of doubt this is better, while it sucks for the genius it is better for civilization as a whole

  46. What if it's true? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Ok, but what if he really IS ( bit.ly/18nUitE ) Satoshi? Then, what? Some terrorists *cough* NSA maybe *cough* will kidnap him and force to work for them/add backdoor to BTC protocol?
    I know it's a huge problem when people get to know you're some internet tech/economy pioneer super-hero, because it can be used against you. But what could happen (now without conjectures and speculations) to this person, if someday someone will discover REAL personality of Satoshi? He'll be given to the court by govt, maybe judged for helping in money laundering?

  47. Who is this Szabo? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    GWU's website (econ or otherwise) does not list any Nick Szabo. What's the point of saying that Nakamoto is some other pseudonymous/non-existent person.
    Your search for szabo resulted in a total of 4 records.
    Results 1 - 4
    Szabo, Douglas
    Send Douglas an e-mail
    Szabo, Elizabeth C
    Part-time Faculty
    2000 H Street, NW
    Washington, DC 20052
    Send Elizabeth an e-mail
    Szabo, John L.
    Part-time Faculty
    Law School
    2000 H Street NW
    Washington, DC 20052
    ph. (202) 994-2571
    Send John an e-mail
    Szabo, Tanja Dagmar
    Part-time Faculty
    Send Tanja an e-mail