When you look closely, the story of Satoshi Nakamoto and the myth of Prometheus aren’t just similar — they’re deeply symbolic in how they reflect human hopes, rebellion, and transformation. Prometheus, in ancient Greek myth, stole fire from Mount Olympus and gave it to humanity. That fire wasn’t just about warmth or cooking — it symbolized knowledge, technology, and power. It marked the moment when humans began shaping their own fate rather than depending on the whims of the gods.
Now, fast forward thousands of years, and you have Satoshi Nakamoto stepping into a world shaken by the 2008 financial crisis. People were angry, mistrustful, and stuck in a system that felt rigged — a modern Olympus where the "gods" were central banks, governments, and big institutions. Satoshi created Bitcoin not just as a digital currency but as a philosophical response to that system — a kind of “fire” that let regular people exchange value without needing those gods at all.
In both stories, there’s a gift — something powerful and transformative handed down to humanity. But there’s also defiance. Prometheus defied Zeus, the king of the gods. Satoshi defied the financial elite. They both challenged authority to empower ordinary people. That’s what gives both stories such lasting emotional weight.
There’s another layer, too: the mystery and sacrifice. Prometheus paid dearly for his gift — Zeus had him chained to a rock, with an eagle tearing at his liver daily. In Satoshi’s case, he disappeared. No fame, no riches (his Bitcoin, worth $100 billion, remains untouched in his wallets.1), no book deals or TED talks. He walked away from a fortune that would have made him one of the richest persons on Earth. Whether out of fear, principle, or some larger idea of legacy, he gave up everything. And just like the ancient myths, his disappearance made the story even more powerful. Some believe he did it on purpose, expecting that government agencies would eventually come after him as the inventor of Bitcoin.
When we read the Prometheus myth today, we don’t just see it as a tale of fire. We see it as a metaphor for rebellion, enlightenment, and the cost of progress. The same is happening with the Satoshi story. It’s no longer just about code and wallets. It’s become a myth of the digital age, retold in forums, documentaries, and online spaces, where he’s often referred to in near-religious terms — the “creator,” the “visionary,” the one who left but whose work lives on.
So in a way, many liken the creation of Bitcoin to humanity's discovery of fire (or the wheel), and Satoshi to a modern-day Prometheus.