My First Million
The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.
The world is better off never knowing who Satoshi Nakamoto is, despite intense curiosity about Bitcoin's creator.
The Reasoning
Revealing Satoshi's identity would create personal danger for the individual, undermine Bitcoin's decentralized credibility, and satisfy curiosity at the cost of the technology's foundational principles.
What Needs to Be True
- Bitcoin's value depends partly on its decentralized nature
- Powerful institutions would target a known founder
- The mystery contributes to Bitcoin's mythological appeal
- Revealing identity serves no constructive purpose
Counterargument
Historical accuracy matters, people deserve to know who created something so influential, and recognition could benefit the creator.
What Would Change This View
Evidence that revealing identity would strengthen rather than weaken Bitcoin, or that the person wants recognition and can handle the consequences safely.
Implications for Builders
Consider whether anonymity serves your technology's long-term interests
Plan exit strategies that preserve technology independence
Build systems that can survive without founder involvement
Weigh personal recognition against institutional targeting
Example Application
“A founder building a privacy technology chooses to remain pseudonymous permanently, ensuring the technology can't be compromised through personal pressure.”