Not that nobody else has found him out (definitely possible/plausible, and some people claim to have successfully used web tracking bugs to get an IP).
Satoshi Nakamoto:
1. never publicly claimed any credit for the idea of bitcoin... think about it, he doesn't claim he invented the idea, he just put it forward and kind of said, what if... ?
2. never spent or moved his massive holdings of BTC which are easy to identify because they are some of the oldest blocks in the blockchain
3. never exercised his power to shape bitcoin, especially after the end of 2011 - aside from code contributions and that doesn't count since everyone involved can think about it and decide to accept it or not - each code contribution is a potential fork so don't underestimate the care taken on the official bitcoin client
4. never slipped up and revealed his identity or even his _timezone_ !
That's a preponderance of evidence to me. I'll understand if you're not convinced but this is the kind of PR management that a single person just can't pull off!
What can they gain from Bitcoin's existence? Only all the economic benefits from a _viable_ digital currency. All previous attempts at digital currency are weak in comparison. And currency market manipulation is by far the most profitable game, like that even needed to be said.
Who would go through all that trouble? In a world where a US Agency (NSA) has successfully tapped almost the entire internet, maybe it's time to accept that this kind of advanced planning is within reach.
It helps to point out some common misconceptions about Bitcoin. Bitcoin does not guarantee anonymity, despite the p2p elements of the protocol - far from it. Bitcoin is much more flexible than you think, for example the "1" prefix on all addresses currently. Bitcoin does not have to succeed or last forever, the idea has been planted and isn't going away.
All markets are a mix of manipulation and organic behavior. Factor that into your plans and Bitcoin makes a lot more sense.
- posted anonymously