In the post-Snowden era of truth, transparency and openness, you could be forgiven for believing that the age of internet mysteries is over. What you may not know is that Blockchain, one of the most exciting digital technologies to emerge in the last decade, has its origins shrouded in a mystery that would rival a Dan Brown thriller.
Back in October 2008 Satoshi Nakamoto first appeared on an encryption news group announcing to the world that he had developed a new electronic cash system that was “fully peer-to-peer, with no trusted third party”. Known as bitcoin, the open source software quickly rose to prominence and is now used worldwide – today there are over 16 million bitcoins circulating, each with a value that fluctuates somewhere between $450 and $750.
And while bitcoins may be globally known, the identity of Satosho Nakamoto appears to be one of the world’s best kept secrets. Despite much detective work and finger pointing, no one has ever managed to work out the real identity – or identities, as one theory suggests – of the elusive Nakamoto.