On January 10, 2009, Hal Finney tweeted "Running Bitcoin." Unknowingly, he had just marked the first public launch of the decentralized digital currency network in modern monetary history. That day, he ran Satoshi Nakamoto's software and became the first recipient of a BTC transaction. Seventeen years later, on January 10, 2026, that message still echoes as the foundational act of a technological and financial revolution.
Shortly
On January 10, 2009, Hal Finney posted the message "Running Bitcoin," marking the public launch of the network.
On that day, he became the first recipient of a Bitcoin transaction, sent directly by Satoshi Nakamoto.
Hal Finney was a renowned cypherpunk and one of the first to respond to the Bitcoin white paper.
In 2024, a documentary series reignited speculation about his possible identity as Satoshi Nakamoto.
"Running Bitcoin": the first public message from a network that has become global
On January 10, 2009, Hal Finney simply wrote "Running Bitcoin" on Twitter (now X). At that moment, he had just launched the Bitcoin software on his personal computer, making him the first user to run a node after Satoshi Nakamoto.
On the same day, he received the first Bitcoin transaction in history: 10 BTC sent directly by Satoshi. Although the leading cryptocurrency is currently facing difficulties, these 10 bitcoins would now be worth over $900,000, even though they had no market value at the time.
Finney, born in 1956 and a historical figure in the cypherpunk movement, was already a recognized cryptography expert before Bitcoin's arrival. His tweet, now regarded as a genuine foundational act, has become a ritual milestone for the cryptographic community. It marks Bitcoin's entry into the real world, beyond the 2008 white paper. His crucial role in this initial phase of the network is undeniable. Several key elements stand out in this event:
Hal Finney was the first person to run the Bitcoin software after its creator;
Received the first BTC transaction directly from Satoshi Nakamoto on January 10, 2009;
The message "Running Bitcoin" has become a symbolic artifact, often celebrated in the same way as the Genesis Block;
Finney was a direct interlocutor of Satoshi, responding very early to the white paper and exchanging messages with him during the initial testing phases;
Actively contributed to testing and improving the protocol long before BTC had any financial valuation.
An identity still under debate, evidence of conflicting claims
Alongside the tributes paid to Hal Finney, the year 2024 saw a resurgence of speculation surrounding the identity of Satoshi Nakamoto.
A HBO documentary series, "Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery," claims to have identified the creator of Bitcoin. Among the names mentioned, Hal Finney stands out prominently. His expertise in cryptography, his role as the first tester, and his close technical relationship with Satoshi Nakamoto fuel the suspicions.
Especially because, according to contemporary accounts, Finney and his wife owned Mac OS computers, while Satoshi seemed unfamiliar with this system, as noted by Laszlo Hanyecz, another historical developer of the project.
However, these arguments have been seriously challenged. In 2023, Jameson Lopp, co-founder of Casa, shared unsettling evidence: an email exchange between Satoshi and another developer occurred while Finney was participating in a marathon.
Satoshi's final message is dated two minutes before Finney crossed the finish line, making it highly unlikely he was the author. Such inconsistencies weaken the Finney-Satoshi theory, although the creator's identity remains a mystery to this day.
Seventeen years after that transcendental tweet, Bitcoin continues its journey, a blend of myths and turbulence. While the community celebrates its origins, recent events remind us of its volatility: Satoshi Nakamoto lost $20 billion in the worst crisis in cryptocurrency history. A stark contrast between the initial promises and the challenges of a market that remains as unpredictable as ever.
