Bitcoin’s price rally pushes Nakamoto’s net worth above $131 billion
The anonymous creator of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto, is now the 11th richest person in the world after Bitcoin’s price surged past $120,000. According to blockchain analytics platform Arkham, Nakamoto is believed to hold approximately 1.096 million BTC, distributed across thousands of wallets. At current prices, that stash is worth over $131 billion.
This theoretical net worth places Nakamoto ahead of Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell, who holds an estimated $125.1 billion, according to Forbes. However, Forbes does not currently count crypto wallet balances in its rankings, instead favoring publicly verifiable assets like stocks.
Bitcoin would need to hit $370K to claim the top billionaire spot
Despite reaching an all-time high, Bitcoin still has a long way to go before Nakamoto could surpass Elon Musk as the world’s richest individual. Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, currently holds a net worth exceeding $404 billion.
To claim the top spot, Bitcoin would need to jump by another 208% to around $370,000 per coin—assuming other billionaires’ wealth remains static. Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg follow Musk with estimated fortunes of $274 billion each.
Analysts predict Nakamoto could reach billionaire top 2 by 2026
Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas recently suggested that Nakamoto could rise to the second spot on the billionaire list by the end of 2026. In a post on X, Balchunas noted that if Bitcoin continues its historical trend of gaining 50% annually, Nakamoto’s wealth could soon exceed most tech billionaires.
“It’s fascinating to ponder that the founder of something so successful never cashed in,” Balchunas wrote, comparing Nakamoto’s path to that of Jack Bogle, founder of Vanguard, who built a legacy but never amassed a massive fortune.
Bitcoin price forecasts remain bullish for 2025 and beyond
Multiple analysts foresee a bullish future for Bitcoin. Markus Thielen, head of 10x Research, said there’s a 60% chance Bitcoin could jump 20% in the next two months, potentially reaching $133,000 by September.
Matt Hougan, Chief Investment Officer at Bitwise, expects Bitcoin to hit $200,000 by the end of 2025, citing rising institutional demand and supply constraints. Meanwhile, BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes forecasts a $250,000 price target by the end of this year.
No Bitcoin whale comes close to Nakamoto’s holdings
Satoshi Nakamoto remains the single-largest holder of Bitcoin. For comparison, institutional entities and custodians collectively own around 847,000 BTC—about 4% of the total capped supply—according to BiTBO data.
Among notable individual whales, the Winklevoss twins reportedly hold 70,000 BTC, venture capitalist Tim Draper owns 30,000 BTC (acquired via a 2014 U.S. Marshals auction), and MicroStrategy’s Michael Saylor holds a personal balance of 17,732 BTC outside of his company’s reserves.
Conclusion: Nakamoto’s silent dominance in crypto wealth
Although Nakamoto remains anonymous and inactive, their fortune continues to grow alongside Bitcoin’s adoption and price action. With bullish projections across the board and institutional interest increasing, the elusive Bitcoin creator could soon find themselves among the very top of the billionaire elite—without ever moving a single coin.
