WikiLeaks and Bitcoin
From Satoshipedia, the Satoshi Mail encyclopedia
In December 2010 forum users urged WikiLeaks to accept bitcoin. Satoshi disagreed: “No, don't ‘bring it on’. The project needs to grow gradually so the software can be strengthened along the way. I make this appeal to WikiLeaks not to try to use Bitcoin. Bitcoin is a small beta community in its infancy. You would not stand to get more than pocket change, and the heat you would bring would likely destroy us at this stage.” (the post).
When PC World linked Bitcoin to WikiLeaks a few days later, he wrote: “It would have been nice to get this attention in any other context. WikiLeaks has kicked the hornet's nest, and the swarm is headed towards us.” (the post). It was one of his last posts. WikiLeaks began accepting bitcoin in June 2011.[1]
See also
References
- History of bitcoin, Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 20 October 2026.
Primary sources
The messages and commits this article draws on, in Satoshi Mail and where they were first published.
- Wikileaks contact info?, BitcoinTalk forum, 5 December 2010. Original source
- PC World Article on Bitcoin, BitcoinTalk forum, 11 December 2010. Original source
Published by Tyler Howell for Satoshi Mail. Written with AI assistance from the sources listed above and checked against them. Last updated 22 October 2026. Spotted an error? Email itstylerhowell@gmail.com (how articles are made).
Categories: Events