Unraveling the Ownership History of the Bitcoin X Account

In the expansive world of Bitcoin, crypto, and X (formerly Twitter), the @Bitcoin handle holds a unique place among cryptocurrency accounts. Launched on August 17, 2011, it started as a modest platform for sharing early insights into Bitcoin when the digital asset traded for mere cents. Today, with close to 8 million followers in October 2025, it serves as a key touchpoint for Bitcoin enthusiasts tracking prices and discussions.

The original creator and owner, an anonymous person in the Bitcoin community since around 2009, focused on straightforward content like blockchain explanations and libertarian-themed posts. This approach helped the account build a dedicated audience, reaching over 100,000 followers by 2013. The handle embodied the grassroots spirit of Bitcoin’s beginnings without any commercial ties.

Corporate Leases and Community Divisions

CoinDesk took over management of the @Bitcoin account through a lease arrangement from 2013 to 2016. During this period, the posts shifted to include news links, price notifications, and ecosystem promotions that aligned with the outlet’s reporting. The partnership boosted the follower count to about 500,000, though records of the agreement have since disappeared amid changes in CoinDesk’s leadership.

After the lease ended in 2016, control returned to the original owner, who began leaning into the growing debates over Bitcoin’s scalability. The account’s content turned critical of Bitcoin Core developers, supporting the Bitcoin Cash blockchain network and sparking backlash from Bitcoin maximalists. This phase highlighted the deepening rifts in the community, with accusations of ideological bias flying across social media.

Tensions peaked in April 2018 when X (at the time it was Twitter) suspended the account following complaints about its content and potential violations of platform rules on transfers. The suspension wiped out around 750,000 followers temporarily, but appeals brought it back online with 1.5 million remaining. Roger Ver, a long time Bitcoin and crypto entrepreneur and evangelist, nicknamed “Bitcoin Jesus,” later explained in a video interview (below) that the owner had turned to Bitcoin Cash for support after a major hack drained much of his Bitcoin holdings years earlier.

By August 2019, financial pressures from that hack led the original owner to sell the handle, despite X’s policies against such transactions. The new owner quickly deleted thousands of pro-Bitcoin Cash tweets and pivoted to strong Bitcoin advocacy, featuring price updates, anti-fiat memes, and links to official resources. Speculation pointed to Trace Mayer, a longtime Bitcoin figure who bought in at $0.25 in 2011 and hosted early conferences, as the buyer due to the account’s libertarian tone.

Community discussions on X fueled theories that former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey played a role in facilitating the transfer before facilitating the sale. Longtime Bitcoin advocate David Shares detailed how Dorsey allegedly took the account from its prior owner amid controversy and sold it to Mayer for a significant amount. While no public confirmation exists from Dorsey, the shift aligned with Mayer’s public stance, and Twitter, now X, never intervened, fueling rumors.

Under its current stewardship, presumed to be Mayer’s, the @Bitcoin handle has settled into a routine of automated price posts and occasional memes. Activity slowed after April 2024, with fewer original updates raising questions about its direction. At 7.9 million followers, it still draws eyes as a pro-Bitcoin staple, though some dismiss its lighter tone as a departure from its serious roots.

Looking toward the future, observers see potential buyers emerging from Bitcoin’s corporate landscape. Michael Saylor of Strategy, whose firm holds over 640,000 Bitcoin, could use the handle to broadcast his treasury strategy to a vast audience. Discussions in 2024 suggested such a move would strengthen maximalist messaging.

Another contender is Nakamoto, the Bitcoin-focused company that merged with KindlyMD in August 2025 to create a publicly traded entity on NASDAQ under the ticker NAKA. The firm quickly acquired 5,744 Bitcoin and invested $30 million in international treasuries like Japan’s Metaplanet, positioning itself as a builder of Bitcoin-native institutions. Securing the @Bitcoin handle would add historical weight to its growing portfolio.

As Bitcoin continues to mature, the X handle’s path reflects the protocol’s own evolution from fringe idea to global asset. Its transfers and tone changes underscore the challenges of maintaining neutrality in a polarized space. For now, it persists as a quiet observer, ready for whatever comes next in the digital asset story.