The article in The New York Times pointing out Adam Back as the creator of Bitcoin, honestly, the evidence is too weak. But this prompted me to realize a more fundamental issue.

If Satoshi Nakamoto is truly still alive, he has a reason to act immediately. The biggest risk Bitcoin faces is that about 1.7 million BTC, worth approximately 120 billion dollars, are sleeping in old P2PK addresses. The public keys are fully exposed.

The evolution of quantum computers is progressing faster than expected. According to Google's latest paper, with just 26,000 qubits, it might be possible to reverse-engineer private keys within a few days. By 2029, a full transition to quantum-resistant cryptography is scheduled, yet the Bitcoin founder's address remains untouched.

This is the crucial part. If Satoshi were alive, he would move his coins to a secure new address or send them to a destroyed address to make them completely disappear. With a sense of responsibility, he would address the quantum threat before it becomes a reality. At the very least, he could prove his identity with old files or emails.

But he does nothing. He has remained silent for over 13 years.

In 2010, Satoshi himself participated in discussions about quantum risks. At that time, he understood this problem. Yet, now, 15 years later, as Bitcoin faces a real crisis, there is no response.

My conclusion is this: Satoshi Nakamoto has probably already passed away. If he were alive, as the creator of Bitcoin, he would have the responsibility to address this quantum threat. Not doing so suggests he is no longer in this world.

The theory that Back is truly the creator of Bitcoin also does not hold from this perspective. If the creator were alive and such a crisis was imminent, it’s unthinkable that he would do nothing.