Satoshi Nakamoto's Bitcoin Genesis Block Puzzle Gets New Attention
Galaxy Research head Alex Thorn has joined the hunt for a Bitcoin wallet puzzle tied to Satoshi Nakamoto's Genesis Block, testing over 19.3 billion candidate scripts with a prize of 142,779 sats still unclaimed.
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A Puzzle Rooted in Bitcoin's First Block
An anonymous cryptographer has planted a wallet puzzle inside the Bitcoin blockchain, with all clues pointing back to the very first block Satoshi Nakamoto ever mined. Galaxy Research spotted an unusual message tucked into a Bitcoin transaction at block 963,629, recorded on August 22. An unidentified user embedded a 255-byte message in that block, announcing a wallet puzzle whose private-key material was allegedly derived from Satoshi Nakamoto's Genesis Block. The operation cost its creator only pennies, with a miner fee of just 250 satoshis.
The Genesis Block, or Block 0, is the first block on the Bitcoin blockchain, mined by Satoshi Nakamoto on January 3, 2009. Satoshi embedded a now-famous message referencing a Times newspaper headline from that same date, widely seen as a commentary on the fragility of traditional banking. That message, long regarded as one of Bitcoin's most iconic historical artifacts, now sits at the center of this new challenge.
The creator of the puzzle used information from the Genesis Block to generate a wallet with extremely low entropy, claiming it required no backup. The wallet uses a 2-of-2 multisig structure, meaning both keys must be present to unlock the funds. When pressed for more detail, the puzzle creator confirmed that both keys use the same Genesis Block field, that there is no hash, and that both keys are derived independently from the Genesis Block.
Galaxy's Alex Thorn Joins the Hunt
Galaxy Head of Research Alex Thorn (@intangiblecoins) has publicly stated he is working on solving the puzzle. With the available hints, Thorn has tested more than 19.3 billion candidate scripts but ruled them all out. The puzzle remains unsolved, and Thorn has since invited others to collaborate on cracking it.
The jackpot has grown from 125,779 sats to 142,779 sats, worth roughly $111, reflecting ongoing community engagement. No verified evidence currently shows the puzzle has been solved or that the associated reward has moved.
Sources:
TheStreet Crypto: Anonymous Coder Hides Bitcoin Puzzle in Satoshi's Genesis Block
Crypto.news: Bitcoin Puzzle Hides Wallet Key in Genesis Block Data
U.Today: Satoshi's Bitcoin Genesis Block Puzzle Gets New Clues, but Mystery Remains
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Soumen DattaSoumen has been a crypto researcher since 2020 and holds a master’s in Physics. His writing and research has been published by publications such as CryptoSlate and DailyCoin, as well as BSCN. His areas of focus include Bitcoin, DeFi, and high-potential altcoins like Ethereum, Solana, XRP, and Chainlink. He combines analytical depth with journalistic clarity to deliver insights for both newcomers and seasoned crypto readers.