<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
span.EmailStyle20
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From:</b> cryptography <cryptography-bounces+mkapilkov=pace.edu@metzdowd.com> <b>On Behalf Of </b>bear<br><b>Sent:</b> Friday, January 22, 2021 11:38 PM<br><b>To:</b> bit <bit@ungeared.com><br><b>Cc:</b> cryptography@metzdowd.com; cryptography <cryptography-bounces+bear=sonic.net@metzdowd.com><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Cryptography] A Thought Experiment: Proof of Satoshi<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>>This question rekindled my musings on the topic – how would Satoshi prove that he is Satoshi, what proof would be<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><em><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>>definitive</span></em><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>? To most the question may be of rhetorical nature as in their mind, the proof is easy – all Satoshi would<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>>need to do is either sign a message with a private key from one of the early blocks or just move some of those early coins.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>A more important question than HOW someone could prove they were Satoshi, is WHY would anyone prove they were Staoshi? Seriously, Satoshi is over. The alias did what it was supposed to do and whoever created it has no more use for it. It's gone. No one was left with any legitimate need to know who he is, no one was left with any means of finding out, no one was left with any means of proving it, Satoshi himself was left with no reason to ever come forward, and that's that. That is a successful conclusion. Why try to turn it into a failure?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>Bear<o:p></o:p></span></p><p>That is more of a thought experiment than a real life situation. But Satoshi (if he’s alive) might have his own reasons. Maybe he is not happy with the direction of Bitcoin development or he wants to spend some of those early coins, which would lead to his discovery anyway.<o:p></o:p></p><p>As to why people want to know – it’s natural human curiosity, which sometimes can be a dangerous thing as we know from the Pandora box. Why scholars and amateurs alike have been debating Shakespeare’s identity for centuries? Another thing to consider is knowing who Satoshi is would discourage faketoshis.<o:p></o:p></p><p>Just curious, since you were communicating with Satoshi from before Bitcoin was released, do you have something that you could use as a litmus test against faketoshis?<o:p></o:p></p><p><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>