The net worth of Satoshi Nakamoto, the mysterious figure known as the founder of Bitcoin, has dropped 34% in the last month due to the recent virtual asset crash .
Industry analysts say this isn’t simply a price correction, but rather a sign that the cryptocurrency market’s resilience is faltering due to structural factors such as the AI bubble controversy, uncertainty over the US Federal Reserve’s interest rates, and the risks of quantum computing.
According to Benzinga, Nakamoto’s estimated wealth fell from its October peak of $137 billion to its current value of $90.7 billion on the 24th (local time). The overall cryptocurrency market weakened as major tech companies failed to address repeated warnings about the AI bubble theory.
Nakamoto, the man who created the Bitcoin (BTC) system and created the first block (the Genesis Block), has yet to confirm his real name or nationality. Despite attempts to reveal his identity and documentaries around the world, he has never appeared in public, remaining shrouded in mystery.
Nakamoto is currently estimated to own approximately 1,096,000 bitcoins. This figure alone would have placed him eleventh among the world’s richest people at the peak of bitcoin’s price in October.
He is known for never selling a single Bitcoin since its issuance in 2009 , earning him the title of “the all-time whale.” However, with this recent collapse, his Forbes billionaire ranking has fallen to twentieth place, just below Microsoft founder Bill Gates.
The current price of a single Bitcoin is around $87,000 . Ethereum (ETH), another key player in the virtual asset market, has also fallen by around 19% since the beginning of the year, reinforcing general risk aversion.
With the rapid advances in quantum computing, the debate over the so-called “Q-Day” —the moment when the cryptocurrency system could collapse—is resurfacing. Q-Day refers to the moment when quantum computers could completely destroy existing cryptographic systems.
Prediction platform Metaculus initially predicted Q-Day for 2052 , but has since moved it forward to 2034 to reflect the rapid advances in quantum technology. Within the industry, the argument that Bitcoin’s security system needs to be completely redesigned is gaining traction.
Joseph Shalom, CEO of SharpLink Gaming, said: “Within the next five to ten years, we will have to transition to a new cryptographic system that is impervious to quantum computers.”
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