Possible early 2009 51% attacks by Satoshi on Bitcoin unveiled

A recent social media post has sparked discussions regarding Satoshi Nakamoto's potential testing of 51% attacks on the Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) blockchain during its early stages. 

According to an analysis shared by the account “Wicked” on X, Satoshi may have deliberately conducted these tests in May 2009 to understand the effects of such an attack on the network’s security. 

Wicked’s speculation stems from unusual patterns observed in the ExtraNonce data from 2009 Bitcoin blocks. 

The post claims, “More odd behavior seen on Bitcoin from Satoshi in May 2009. With over 75% of the hashrate at the time, my best guess is that he was testing out how 51% attacks would actually work.” 

Wicked pointed out that during the week of May 19 to 25, 2009, Satoshi’s blocks stood out due to a different method of nonce iteration than other participants. 

The analysis further noted that while no known communications from Satoshi or early adopters discuss the events of that week, the data suggests a likely experiment. 

“I’m pretty confident that that’s what we’re seeing here,” Wicked stated. 

Bitcoin expert Jameson Lopp also commented on the anomaly, highlighting the static nature of the ExtraNonce data, which suggested that the mining software continued to function without disruption during this period. 

The discussion has fueled ongoing intrigue about Bitcoin’s early development, with some speculating that Satoshi may have intentionally or unintentionally triggered these network reorganizations. 

Lopp proposed that issues such as a manual clock adjustment or a lost internet connection could explain the gaps in mining. 

While these findings remain speculative, they underscore the continuing fascination with Bitcoin’s origins. 

According to Wicked, the uncertainty surrounding the early days of Bitcoin leaves much room for debate and exploration about how the protocol was stress-tested by its creator. 

At the time of writing, the Bitcoin price was $61,012.21.