While the mystery of whether Dorian Satoshi Nakamoto is actually Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of bitcoin, continues to swirl, Reddit users are rallying to help a man whose world has been turned upside down by the sudden deluge of media attention.

Andreas M. Antonopoulos, a serial entrepreneur and the chief security officer of Blockchain, has launched a campaign to raise money for Dorian Nakamoto. In a post on Reddit, Antonopoulos wrote:

“If this person is not Satoshi, then these funds will serve as a ‘sorry for what happened to you,’ help with medical bills his family is facing, any legal bills they may incur, or anything else. Most of all, it serves to soften the damage caused by irresponsible journalism and to demonstrate the generosity and empathy of the community, which I know is huge.”

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As of late Thursday morning, the campaign had raised 15.14262168 bitcoins. Based on the latest Coindesk Index which pegs the price of one bitcoin at $616.50, that would mean the campaign has raised about $9,335.

“Thank you for doing this Andreas,” wrote Reddit user gonzobon in a comment. “We all want to show the world that we are not a mob.”

Though Antonopoulos says he doubts a Newsweek article identifying Dorian Satoshi Nakamoto as the bitcoin creator is correct, he acknowledges there is some small chance the magazine has the right guy. In which case, he said, the money raised would be a “small ‘thanks’ and won’t make much of a difference.”

Not everyone was ready to chip in, though. Some expressed hesitation since the real Satoshi Nakamoto holds more than $400 million worth of bitcoins.


@aantonop https://t.co/9szDr0ql2i Are you 100% he is NOT the one? I am not, so I will not risk donating to a Bitcoin millionaire.— Androklis Polymenis (@kLee1977) March 7, 2014

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