14 Years Ago Today: Satoshi Nakamoto’s Final Goodbye to Bitcoin Development

On April 23, 2011, exactly 14 years ago, Satoshi Nakamoto, the enigmatic creator of Bitcoin, sent an email to developer Mike Hearn that would become a defining moment in crypto history. In this message, Satoshi wrote, *“I’ve moved on to other things. It’s in good hands with Gavin and everyone.”* With these words, Satoshi signaled his permanent departure from the Bitcoin project.
At the time, Bitcoin was still in its infancy, and the crypto community was just beginning to form around it. Satoshi’s message passed the torch to Gavin Andresen, one of Bitcoin’s earliest and most trusted contributors, who would take the lead in maintaining and evolving the project.
The email also encouraged continued development of BitcoinJ, a Java-based Bitcoin library, emphasizing the need for simpler, alternative clients to help new users onboard faster.
This short yet historic message marked the end of direct communication from Bitcoin's creator—and the beginning of a decentralized journey that would go on to change the world of finance forever.