Satoshi Nakamoto Becomes World’s 11th Richest as Bitcoin Hits Record High

Bitcoin’s anonymous creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, has climbed to the 11th spot among the world’s wealthiest individuals after Bitcoin surged past $120,000 on Sunday, marking a new all-time high. 

According to blockchain analytics firm Arkham, Nakamoto is believed to hold around 1.096 million Bitcoin across thousands of wallets, a stash now worth over $131 billion at current prices.

This valuation would, in theory, place the Bitcoin creator just ahead of Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell, whose net worth stands at $125.1 billion, according to Forbes. 

However, Forbes does not factor in crypto wallet holdings while ranking billionaires, focusing instead on publicly verifiable assets such as company shares. Currently, Elon Musk leads the list with over $404 billion, followed by Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, each with estimated fortunes of $274 billion.

Bitcoin would need to surge another 208% to reach around $370,000 for Nakamoto to potentially claim the top spot, assuming the net worth of other billionaires remains unchanged. Despite this gap, the recent rally underscores Bitcoin’s growing stature as a wealth-generating asset and the significance of Nakamoto’s untouched holdings.

Potential for Further Climb in Rankings

Market analysts believe that Nakamoto’s position among the world’s wealthiest could improve further if Bitcoin maintains its historical growth trajectory. Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas recently noted that if Bitcoin continues its “normal 50% annual increase,” Nakamoto could climb to the second position on the billionaire list by late 2026.

“It’s fascinating to ponder that the founder of something so successful never cashed in. It echoes Jack Bogle in that regard,” Balchunas observed, referencing the Vanguard founder who prioritized investor value over personal wealth, passing away with a modest fortune relative to industry peers.

The outlook for Bitcoin remains bullish among many market watchers. Bitwise’s chief investment officer Matt Hougan has projected that Bitcoin could hit $200,000 by the end of 2025, driven by a supply squeeze amid growing institutional demand. 

Meanwhile, BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes has predicted Bitcoin could surge to $250,000 by year’s end.

Bitcoin Whales Lag Behind Nakamoto BTC Holdings

Nakamoto remains the largest known holder of Bitcoin, owning more than any individual or institutional entity by a wide margin. According to BiTBO data, corporations and custodians collectively hold around 847,000 Bitcoin, representing about 4% of the cryptocurrency’s capped supply.

Among individual Bitcoin whales, the Winklevoss twins, founders of crypto exchange Gemini, reportedly hold around 70,000 Bitcoin, while venture capitalist Tim Draper owns approximately 30,000, purchased during a 2014 US Marshals auction. 

MicroStrategy co-founder Michael Saylor also personally holds around 17,732 Bitcoin, separate from his company’s substantial Bitcoin reserves.