Bitcoin continues to make new highs, and things are changing in the Forbes Rich list.
While this list generally doesn’t count crypto holdings as valid wealth, Nakamoto’s massive Bitcoin holdings make him the 11th richest person.
As Bitcoin continues to grow in price, Nakamoto’s wealth will become harder to ignore.
In a few years, Nakamoto will likely become the richest individual in the world.
Bitcoin continues to tear through new highs. However, as this is happening, something interesting is going on with Satoshi Nakamoto.
The flagship cryptocurrency recently surged past the $120,000 mark, and Nakamoto’s holdings have propelled him into the spotlight as the 11th richest person in the world, according to on-chain estimates.
More interestingly, if this trend continues, this mysterious figure could inevitably beat the entire Forbes billionaire list:
Without ever selling a single coin.
According to estimates from blockchain analytics firm Arkham, Nakamoto holds around 1.096 million BTC.
These holdings are spread across thousands of wallets, and at the current market price of over $120,000 per Bitcoin, this puts his net worth at approximately $132.8 billion.
This fortune would place Satoshi Nakamoto just ahead of Michael Dell, the founder of Dell Technologies, who has a reported net worth of $125.1 billion.
It is worth mentioning that Forbes does not factor in crypto wallet holdings when compiling its billionaire list.
The company focuses more on assets like publicly traded stocks and company valuations.
Still, if Bitcoin’s current growth rate continues, it could be hard to ignore Nakamoto's wealth for long.
Despite the massive value of Nakamoto’s Bitcoin holdings, he still trails the world’s richest individuals like Elon Musk.
Musk currently sits comfortably at the top of Forbes’ list with a net worth of $404 billion.
This means that for Nakamoto to overtake Musk, Bitcoin would need to climb another 208% and hit a price point of $370,000 per coin.
The forbes rich-list | Source: Forbes
This calculation assumes that the wealth of other billionaires like Musk, Larry Ellison ($274B) and Mark Zuckerberg ($274B) remains unchanged during the climb.
In all, considering Bitcoin’s history of explosive bull runs, such a leap is not only possible, but also inevitable:
Especially as more institutional players flood into the space.
According to insights from Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas, Nakamoto could become the second-richest person in the world by 2026.
Maybe even sooner.
“If Bitcoin does its normal 50% annual growth,” Balchunas wrote on X, “...then Satoshi will pass Buffett this year and Zuckerberg sometime next year-ish.”
He compared Nakamoto’s financial restraint to that of Jack Bogle, founder of Vanguard, who famously never capitalized on the massive financial empire he built.
Meanwhile, 10x Research head Markus Thielen predicts a 60% chance of Bitcoin hitting $133,000 by September.
On the other hand,Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan believes the price could rise to $200,000 by the end of the year, due to a supply shock and increasing institutional demand.
Arthur Hayes, co-founder of BitMEX is even more bullish and expects Bitcoin to reach $250,000 by year’s end.
What sets Nakamoto apart is not just the staggering number of Bitcoins he holds, but the fact that none of these coins have ever been moved or spent.
Since disappearing from public view in 2011, Nakamoto’s wallets have remained untouched despite Bitcoin’s climb.
In June, a mysterious transaction caught the attention of blockchain analysts.
Roughly $20,000 worth of BTC was sent to Nakamoto’s original Genesis Block address, which was the largest such transfer in four months.
While the origin remains unknown, analysts believe that it could be either a mistaken exchange withdrawal or a symbolic tribute of some sort, from an early supporter.
Despite more than a decade of speculation, Satoshi Nakamoto’s true identity remains unknown.
While many have tried to figure out who this person is, there has been no real evidence for nearly two decades.
Overall, as Bitcoin continues its bullish march, the person (or group) behind its creation continues to inch closer to dominating the rich-list soon.
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