In the book "
Digital Gold: Bitcoin and the Inside Story of the Misfits and Millionaires Trying to Reinvent Money", its author (
Nathaniel Popper) quotes a couple of emails sent by Satoshi to other members of the early Bitcoin community. This was apparently right before his disappearance from the forum. Here is the excerpt:
The author of the Bitcoin software hadnt posted to the forums since December, but he had continued to e-mail with a select number of developers, including Gavin, Martti, and Mike Hearn, a Google programmer in Switzerland, who got drawn into the project after the WikiLeaks blockade. In late April Hearn politely asked how involved Satoshi intended to be moving forward.
Are you planning on rejoining the community at some point (e.g. for code reviews), or is your plan to permanently step back from the limelight? he asked.
Ive moved on to other things, Satoshi wrote back. Its in good hands with Gavin and everyone.
[...]
Satoshis final e-mails went to Martti, whom Satoshi asked to take full ownership of the Bitcoin.org website.
Ive moved on to other things and probably wont be around in the future, Satoshi wrote to Martti, in early May, before transferring the site to Martti and disappearing into the ether.
[emphasis mine]
Source:
https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Gold-Bitcoin-Millionaires-Reinvent/dp/006236250X I couldn't help noticing that Satoshi announced that "he had moved on to other things" on two different occasions.
What do you think these other things could be? From the context, it sounds these things are unrelated to Bitcoin. Maybe he was working on other projects where programming skills were needed.
This can also be interpreted as Satoshi being more or less satisfied with the development of Bitcoin and confident in its intended future.
I know that this is very speculative and impossible to know with certainty, but I would like to hear your opinion.
There could be many possible reason/s for his decision to step back and all we can do is assume. He might have feared of the unstable or unsure state/future of Bitcoin. He could also be trying to conceal his identity so that once BTC community expand and grew, he could avoid people who are trying to use it for bad acts or he might have feared for his own life. He might be ill, however this is at a low percentage assurance. Or that, he is trying to take care of something huge that he need an ample amount of time.