The One True Satoshi

Stephen Palley
Sep 1, 2018 · 3 min read

Bitcoin — failed religion, the one true faith or programmable money?

The religious fervor of many bitcoin followers is plain to see in debates over the bitcoin origin story.

The howls of disbelief and criticism from the bitcoin faithful were loud, angry and (to anyone who follows the space) as predictable as those of any devout followers of a faith when presented with a false prophet or new messiah.

The debate over who the true Satoshi is reminds me of Shabitai Tzvi, a 17th century Turkish rabbi who claimed to be the messiah and inspired a mass following but many more detractors.

The religiosity over a technology that offers no afterlife and no spiritual redemption is amazing to behold. I suppose there is a little bit of success gospel in it — wealth is a sign that you are a good person, that idea.

It’s also an example, forgive me for impugning motives, of how religion can sometimes be used to manipulate people into doing things that are more the benefit of others than themselves.

It appears to be impossible to prove to universal satisfaction who Satoshi is. He has to remain unrevealed for some of the faithful to retain their belief. He is anointed but unseen.

That whitepaper is one of the least religious documents I’ve ever read. But anything can be a mirror for individual spiritual desire.

If you speak of bitcoin in quasi-religious/mystical terms it probably says more about you than about bitcoin. That is neither criticism nor praise. It’s an (idle) observation.

Couching asset accumulation in religious terms seems alien to me, personally. What do the funeral rites for the faithful look like? Setting aside bear market jokes, and chart screenshots, what would a bitcoin funeral look like?

As this is mostly a faith found by the young (and in their mind deathless) I don’t imagine the liturgy has advanced that far yet.

Scripturally though “you cannot serve God and Mammon.”

And another (non-Christian) take:

I think bitcoin ultimately fails as a religion. As programmable money and a world currency there is no point in me making predictions.

As religion though it doesn’t offer enough. Worshipping money is a spiritual fail. It’s not how humans are wired.


Disclaimer: These are my opinions only. I might change my mind. “I contain multitudes.” Also, I don’t how anyone could take any of this as legal advice, but it sure isn’t, and nothing here reflects views held by clients, partners or employers, from the beginning of time to the end of all days.

Stephen Palley

Written by

Itinerant slant rhymer. Lawyer. “I contain multitudes”.

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