It has been suggested that Cicada 3301 might have something to do with the most talked-about topic in the world of cryptanalysis: Bitcoin. Bitcoin is money generated by software that can only be obtained by cracking various digital codes. Finding Bitcoin is much like deciphering a Cicada 3301 clue, just using computer power and not occult poetry. This online currency, which was once only whispered about in the dark corners of the Internet, has become a talking point in mainstream financial media, launching hundreds of other cryptocurrency competitors and plans for the very first Bitcoin ATM in Zurich.
Satoshi Nakamoto is the creator of Bitcoin,
responsible for releasing 21 million units of the
currency into the digital wild in 2009. Since then, a little over 12 million of them have been found, and their value has sky rocketed; at time of publishing, one Bitcoin will value $708 in Us dollars, although this price is unstable. This means that those who bought some of
the currency early because of its novelty have
become rich overnight without doing any real work. It also means that Satoshi Nakamoto, who is said to have put aside one million Bitcoin for himself, is a very rich man. Or woman? Or maybe corporation? Bank? Alien race? This is where the mystery lies. Satoshi Nakamoto remains anonymous, and his/her/their identity is subject to endless speculation. Notable suggestions include American researcher Nick Szabo , Japanese
maths prodigy Shinichi Mochizuki, and Silk Road’s own Ross William Ulbricht, aka Dread Pirate Roberts.
Towards the end of last year, Dorian Prentice
Satoshi Nakamoto, a Japanese American man living in California, was identified by Newsweek as being the Satoshi. He was hounded by the media until a message was posted to a technology website stating,
“I am not Dorian Nakamoto.”
So, the hunt continues. This information gives an epic run down of all the prime suspects, but whoever Satoshi is, they are smart enough to encode an untraceable currency onto the Internet. If they want to avoid being uncovered, they will.
