Does anyone else ever stop to wonder how different things might’ve been if Satoshi never disappeared? Like, would Bitcoin have evolved faster (or maybe even slower) if he stuck around? Just thinking out loud here — curious what the community thinks.
Absolutely — I’ve wondered the same thing more than a few times.
If Satoshi had stayed, I think there would’ve been both benefits and downsides. On one hand, having a clear visionary might’ve helped settle some of the early ideological fights (like the block size wars) much faster. Maybe Bitcoin’s development would’ve been more streamlined, with fewer forks and tribal splits.
But on the flip side, part of what makes Bitcoin Bitcoin is that it’s leaderless. The fact that Satoshi walked away kind of forced the community to grow up and self-govern. It’s messy, sure — but that messiness is also what gives it resilience. No central figure to pressure, no one to jail, no single person to corrupt.
So yeah, maybe things would’ve been different if Satoshi had stuck around… but not necessarily better.
Their disappearance might’ve been the most powerful move of all.
