On social media, proponents of the reigning cryptocurrency Bitcoin are renewing the petition to have Bitcoin founder Satoshi Nakamoto win the Nobel Prize in Economic Science.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences revealed the three recipients of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences.
On October 10, they announced US economists Philip Dybvig and Douglas Diamond, along with Ben Bernanke, former Federal Reserve Chair, to be the recipients of the prize. The names were being rewarded for their research on financial crises and banks.
But for years, many crypto proponents have argued that the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto, is deserving of the prize that was first established in 1968.
They believe that the founder is deserving of the award based on the very principles that were set for the Nobel Prizes awarded since the beginning of last century.
Crypto Enthusiasts Draw Comparisons between Recipients and Nakamoto
Lucho Polleti, a crypto artist, drew comparisons between the Nobel Prize recipients and Nakamoto.
In a tweet, he said that the former Federal Reserve chair printed out money to save banks that came up with a debt bubble that caused a recession in 2008.
In contrast, the Bitcoin founder came up with Bitcoin – a complete financial system that would give people freedom from a centralized currency.
In their opinion, Nakamoto deserves the prize for successfully coming up with a way to separate the state from people’s money.
Nakamoto Deserved ‘More Than Just Prize in Economics’
Crypto fans such as Anthony Pompliano, co-founder of Morgan Creek Digital and crypto podcaster, have said that the Bitcoin founder deserved more than the Nobel Prize in Economics.
In 2019, Pompliano tweeted that Nakamoto was entitled to the Nobel Peace Prize for coming up with a currency. And not just any currency; proponents believe that it can take up status as a global reserve without the need for violence.
But some fans like Samson Mow, a former chief strategy officer at Blockstream, argue that neither the Nobel Peace Prize nor the Nobel Prize in Economics applies to the scenario.
The argument is that both prizes symbolize an outdated system. Calling the prize a ‘fiat,’ they argue that it boosts the legacy financial system. In their opinion, running a Bitcoin node is a better way to honor Nakamoto’s legacy.
Can Satoshi Nakamoto Be Awarded The Nobel Prize?
Even if Nakamoto’s achievements are notable, whether or not they can win a Nobel Prize is up for debate. That’s because their true identity was never revealed to the public.
Hence, it would make more sense to honor other early contributors to the crypto ecosystem, such as Gavin Andresen, a former BTC core developer, or Hal Finney, a developer and first recipient of a Bitcoin transaction. But since Finney passed away in 2014, it can’t be awarded to someone posthumously.
