In honor of Bitcoin Whitepaper Day, this article is dedicated to the numerological “easter eggs” that Satoshi Nakamoto mysteriously put within Bitcoin’s design and launch.

PLEASE NOTE: I am not a hippie. I acknowledge that the title of this article, “Bitcoin Numerology,” could seem annoyingly esoteric. Nowhere in this article will you find any mention of price predictions, astrology, or any other hippie-dippie things; just some interesting significances with Bitcoin and numbers which I felt compelled to share with you.

Buckle up!

Reformation Day

On October 31st, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on the door of the Catholic church, leading to the separation of church and state. October 31st is now commonly celebrated as “Reformation Day.” On the very same day, October 31st, 2008, the Bitcoin whitepaper was released to the world, marking a historic moment that is now leading to the separation of money and state.

Just consider how the world has vastly changed as a result of the separation of church and state. It is quite poetic that Satoshi Nakamoto released the whitepaper on the same day; one could argue that the separation of money and state will change how we interact with each other in the world even more!

The Birth of Bitcoin

On January 9th, 1988, The Economist published the magazine shown below titled, "Get ready for a world currency":

On January 9th, 2009, Bitcoin block #1 was mined. 21 years later…to the exact day:

Oh, and by the way, guess what year the U.S. national debt hit $21 trillion? 2018. Guess what year is listed on the coin of that edition of The Economist magazine? 2018.

Mind you, the total amount of Bitcoin that will ever exist are…21 million.

Satoshi’s “Birthday”

According to Satoshi Nakamoto’s profile on P2P Foundation, he listed his fictitious “birthday” as April 5th, 1975. This is the same exact day that Executive Order 6102 was issued in the year 1933, which made it illegal for Americans to own gold and instead forced them to hand it over to banks. This speaks to the importance of Bitcoin, which, if held in self-custody, cannot be censored or seized by any government or entity.

Additionally, in the year 1975 (again, the “birth year” of Satoshi) Americans were legally allowed to own gold again!

The Number “33”

In numerology, the number 33 is considered a master number and is said to carry great spiritual and transformative energy. 33 is allegedly a very powerful number. It is often associated with creativity, compassion, and the ability to inspire others.

Some examples on the significance of the number 33:

Significance of the number 33 in Bitcoin:

  • 33 years after Satoshi’s birthday on April 5th, 1975, the whitepaper was released on October 31st, 2008.
  • 33 total halvings until the block reward reaches 0.
  • 33 bytes in a public key.

The Number “21”

In numerology, the number 21 is generally interpreted as a combination of the numbers 2 and 1. To understand its meaning, let us first look at the individual numbers and then consider how they interact:

2: Often associated with balance, harmony, cooperation, and diplomacy. It signifies relationships, partnerships, and sensitivity.

1: Represents independence, leadership, and self-reliance. It is often seen as a symbol of new beginnings, ambition, and assertiveness.

With this combination, the number 21 in numerology can be seen as a number representing a balance between individuality (1) and partnership (2). This seems appropriate given that the Bitcoin network itself is both a societal phenomenon as well as an individual phenomenon within those who choose to start using it.

Now, to the relation of the number 21 and Bitcoin:

  • 21 million Bitcoin that will ever exist. 
  • 210,000 blocks per halving.
  • The Bitcoin whitepaper was published on the cryptography mailing list at exactly 2:10pm EDT.

Another interesting note: In Matthew Chapter 21, Jesus kicked the “money changers” out of the temple.

Nikola Tesla’s Numerology

“If only you knew the magnificence of the 3, 6 and 9, then you would have a key to the universe.” -Nikola Tesla

21 million Bitcoin:

2 + 1 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 = 3

33 halvings:

3 + 3 = 6

Difficulty adjustment every 2016 blocks:

2 + 0 + 1 + 6 = 9

Final Thoughts

All I can say after going down the “Bitcoin numerology rabbit hole” is that this is all quite astounding. Many great thinkers throughout history have pondered over the idea that numbers have a certain power in our world which may be more significant than most people think; a kind of power which is simply unseen. Satoshi seemed to have an understanding of this.

At the end of the day, my personal sentiment is that there is just something about Bitcoin where I feel we're going to win.

A gut feeling. A sense. Whatever word describes it. I think many people who have spent the time to learn about what Bitcoin even is, how it works, and how important this technology is, will know exactly what I am talking about.

I have met too many Bitcoiners in different places and countries to know that the energy with them is simply different than with anyone else.

Bitcoin is inevitable.

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I would like to thank my dear friend and fellow Marine veteran turned Bitcoiner, Connor, for going down this rabbit hole with me in our free time. Give him a follow on twitter!

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