Interesting thesis by Nic Carter on whether Satoshi Nakamoto is still alive. He argues quite convincingly that the Bitcoin founder might have already passed away, based on simple logic: if Satoshi were still alive, he would have responded long ago.

The core issue is the quantum threat. It concerns about 1.7 million Bitcoins stored in old P2PK addresses that are vulnerable to quantum attacks. At current BTC prices, this represents enormous value. This cannot be ignored.

Carter's point is actually logical: if Satoshi were still alive and aware that these early coins are at risk from quantum computers, he would take action. He could transfer or destroy these Bitcoins to minimize market risks. But that is not happening. Satoshi's silence for years suggests he may no longer be able to intervene at all.

This is also why the Bitcoin community now has to deal with cryptographic upgrades. We can't wait forever for Satoshi Nakamoto to be dead or alive—we need to close these security gaps ourselves before quantum computers pose a real threat.

The whole debate also shows how important it is to proactively address such technical vulnerabilities. Carter rightly criticizes the thesis from the New York Times, which suggests Adam Back as Satoshi, because the evidence simply isn't there. But regardless of who Satoshi was or is—the quantum problem remains and must be solved.