MIT Research Scientist Says Satoshi Nakamoto Should Win a Nobel Memorial Prize
The Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences should be awarded to Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin (BTC), argues MIT Research Scientist Lex Fridman and other Bitcoin supporters.
Host of the Lex Fridman Podcast tweeted this argument three days after it was announced that the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Peace Prize for 2022 to one individual and two organizations: human rights advocate Ales Bialiatski from Belarus, the Russian human rights organization Memorial and the Ukrainian human rights organization Center for Civil Liberties.
Satoshi Nakamoto should win the Nobel Prize.
— Lex Fridman (@lexfridman) October 10, 2022
Furthermore, Fridman’s tweet came on the day the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the recipients of the Nobel prize in economic sciences. Three American economists have been awarded the Prize for their work on bank runs Ben Bernanke, Douglas Diamond, and Philip Dybvig.
“Their discoveries improved how society deals with financial crises,” said the Academy.
It added that the trio’s “analyses have been of great practical importance in regulating financial markets and dealing with financial crises.”
But the Cryptoverse argued that Nakamoto should have been rewarded for his contribution to the world, claiming that he is the most deserving candidate. On the other hand, when it comes to this year’s winner, crypto artist Lucho Poleti noted on Tuesday that Ben Bernanke in 2008 “printed money to bail out banks who proliferated a subprime debt bubble that caused a global financial crisis.”
In 2008:
— Lucho Poletti (@LuchoPoletti) October 10, 2022
Bernanke printed money to bail out banks who proliferated a subprime debt bubble that caused a global financial crisis
Satoshi created #Bitcoin, a money system that gives all humans economic freedom through the separation of money & state
Satoshi deserves a Nobel Prize pic.twitter.com/oOp8Lld5ww
Many others joined the argument in favor of honoring Nakamoto:
https://www.twitter.com/Crypto_McKenna/status/1579481880906592257Others, however, argued that a Nobel Prize is not the way to honor Nakamoto, as it’s a prize rewarding problematic legacy institutions.
Case in point. pic.twitter.com/aPEsAoc8BG
— Samson Mow (@Excellion) October 10, 2022
This year is not the first time the idea of giving Nakamoto a Nobel Prize was proposed – far from it. It’s been discussed for years now, and some, like Professor of Finance at UCLA Anderson School Bhagwan Chowdhry, wrote in 2015 about whether the Bitcoin creator should be nominated for it and on what basis.
Fridman tweeted the idea in June 2021 as well, and Bitcoin bull and former IT firm MicroStrategy CEO Michael Saylor shared that tweet, arguing that Nakamoto should be rewarded both for the invention of Bitcoin and “for the invention of a monetary system that doesn’t rest on the threat of violence.”
Satoshi Nakamoto deserves the Nobel Prize in Economics for the invention of #Bitcoin, followed by the Nobel Peace Prize for the invention of a monetary system that doesn't rest on the threat of violence. https://t.co/C7Qr9Otdvt
— Michael Saylor⚡️ (@saylor) June 17, 2021
Morgan Creek Digital co-founder Anthony Pompliano said that Nakamoto should be the Prize recipient back in 2019.
Satoshi should win the Nobel Peace Prize.
— Pomp 🌪 (@APompliano) September 3, 2019
We finally have a currency that can assume global reserve status without anyone having to engage in violence.
It is unlikely, however, that an anonymous person could receive the Prize, based on The Nobel Prize FAQ page. As a person discussing this posted on a forum back in 2012: “Nobel prize can only be awarded to a living person. And since you can never determine whether an anonymous person is alive, I guess you can’t award an anonymous entity a Nobel prize.”
Meanwhile, in a bid to honor Nakamoto, a statue was unveiled in Hungary’s capital Budapest a year ago. Created by Hungarian sculptors Tamas Gilly and Reka Gergely, the statue’s hooded head is covered in a reflective surface resembling a mirror, suggesting that all Bitcoin enthusiasts can see themselves in Satoshi’s face.
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Learn more:
– Satoshi Nakamoto is Dead, Thinks BitMEX’s Arthur Hayes
– Is This 1999 Forum Message from a Young Satoshi Nakamoto?
– The Rise of a New Faketoshi? Caantoshi Enters the Scene
– A Reminder On Bitcoin’s 13th Birthday: Why It Is Important to Self-Custody Your Keys
– Satoshi Nakamoto Mined More Than 1 Million Bitcoin – Report
– Adam Back on the Cypherpunk Movement, Inventing Hashcash, Satoshi & Bitcoin
