The mysterious disappearance of Satoshi Nakamoto in 2011 remains a puzzling enigma in the realm of cryptocurrencies. Despite laying the groundwork for Bitcoin’s progress and guiding its initial growth, Satoshi vanished suddenly, cutting off all communication without a trace. This event now marks its 13th anniversary.

Looking back to April 23, 2011, Satoshi Nakamoto, the enigmatic creator of Bitcoin, bid farewell to fellow developers through his final emails. He hinted at shifting his focus to other projects while expressing confidence in the future of the cryptocurrency. Just three days later, on April 26, 2011, Satoshi disappeared entirely.

Before vanishing, Satoshi entrusted a cryptographic key essential for network-wide alerts, symbolizing a significant act of trust and authority within the Bitcoin community. By releasing this key, Nakamoto clearly indicated a shift in Bitcoin’s governance from individual control to collective ownership.

This action aligned with Satoshi’s vision of Bitcoin as a decentralized and trustless system, free from centralized authority. It marked the transition from centralized leadership to community-driven stewardship of the groundbreaking cryptocurrency.

Today, Bitcoin functions as a decentralized entity without a single, central authority. Its design and operation minimize reliance on centralized bodies like financial institutions and governments for regulation.

Additionally, Satoshi Nakamoto distanced himself from claiming the software’s copyright, making the source code available to all “Bitcoin developers.”

This article was originally published on U.Today.