‘Not True, But Plausible’: Ripple CTO Breaks Silence as to Whether He Is Satoshi

As a crypto investor with some experience in the industry, I find Schwartz’s denial of being Satoshi Nakamoto both reassuring and intriguing. Reassuring because his clear statement dismisses any speculation, but intriguing because of the ongoing debate about Bitcoin’s creator’s identity.


During the yearly XRP Conference in Las Vegas 2024, David Schwartz, who currently holds the position of CTO at Ripple, faced numerous questions about any possible link between him and Satoshi Nakamoto, the mysterious inventor of Bitcoin.

As a cryptography expert and co-architect of the XRP Ledger with Arthur Britto and Jed McCaleb, I’ve been frequently asked about my involvement with Bitcoin and the alleged identification as Satoshi Nakamoto. I want to make it clear that while I have the necessary skills, I wasn’t part of the Bitcoin creation in 2009. I first learned about Bitcoin in 2011, regretting that I hadn’t discovered it earlier.

His statement arose from acknowledging that he learned about Bitcoin rather lately, and moreover, he highlighted his lack of experience with the Qt interface, an essential component of the initial Bitcoin software, thereby strengthening his disconnection from Nakamoto.

As a researcher investigating this theory, I acknowledge that my skillset is currently incomplete as I lack knowledge in Qt programming. However, I have reason to believe that @nbougalis possesses expertise in Qt. Consequently, the hypothesis that Nik and I are Satoshi, or two of the potential Satoshis, remains a plausible speculation, though not factually correct.

— David “JoelKatz” Schwartz (@JoelKatz) May 8, 2024

After the conference, I shared my thoughts on social media with a touch of humor, joking that the only thing missing for me to be Satoshi Nakamoto was experience with Qt. Nevertheless, I pointed out that Nik Bougalis, who used to work as Ripple’s director of engineering, has the necessary expertise, leading some to suspect.

As a researcher studying the origins of Bitcoin, I’ve come across Schwartz’s assertion that while it may not be factually correct, the idea of a connection between him and Satoshi Nakamoto is plausible. This statement has sparked renewed conversations within the cryptocurrency community, even though Nakamoto himself has repeatedly denied any involvement. The acknowledgment of his abilities and potential role in Bitcoin’s creation continues to fuel debates about the true identity of the person behind this groundbreaking digital currency.

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2024-05-09 11:40