Satoshi

Satoshi is a masculine given name of Japanese origin. It can be written with different kanji characters, and its meaning varies with the chosen script. The name is widely used in Japan and among Japanese communities abroad.

In global popular culture, the name is best known as the pseudonymous figure behind Bitcoin: Satoshi Nakamoto. Nakamoto is credited with designing Bitcoin and publishing the 2008 white paper that outlined a decentralized digital currency. The first version of the Bitcoin software was released in 2009. The true identity of Nakamoto remains unconfirmed, and there has been extensive speculation about who they might be or whether the name represents a person or a group. Public communications by Nakamoto ceased around 2010–2011. The Bitcoin project has since grown into a major cryptocurrency and a broader blockchain ecosystem.

The term 'satoshi' also denotes the smallest unit of Bitcoin: 0.00000001 BTC, used when measuring tiny amounts of the currency.

Beyond Nakamoto, several notable people share the given name Satoshi, including Satoshi Tajiri, the game designer who created Pokémon, and Satoshi Kon, a filmmaker known for anime such as Perfect Blue and Millennium Actress. The name remains common in Japan and appears in various fields worldwide.