Bitcoin advocates on social media platforms have reportedly initiated their annual petition to have the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences awarded to Satoshi Nakamoto.

Specifically, On Oct. 10, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences reportedly disclosed details of three recipients of the economic prize – former Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke, and U.S. economists Douglas Diamond and Philip Dybvig — for “research on banks and financial crises.” 

Numerous crypto advocates have argued for a while that Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin, was highest in the list of deserving candidates for the economic award, first instituted in 1968, “according to the same principles as for the Nobel Prizes that have been awarded since 1901”. 

“In 2008: Bernanke printed money to bail out banks who proliferated a subprime debt bubble that caused a global financial crisis. Satoshi created #Bitcoin, a money system that gives all humans economic freedom through the separation of money & state. Satoshi deserves a Nobel Prize.” Crypto artist Lucho Polleti further shared via a Twitter post. 

A few individuals, including crypto podcaster and Morgan Creek Digital co-founder Anthony “Pomp” Pompliano, have previously claimed that Satoshi deserved to win more than only an economics prize. 

Per a tweet from Pomp three years ago, the BTC creator deserved the Nobel Peace Prize for forming “a currency that can assume global reserve status without anyone having to engage in violence.”

Others such as former Blockstream chief strategy officer Samson Mow have also argued neither award applies as they’re emblematic of an outdated system. 

It is still a mystery whether Nakamoto would have the sufficient eligibility to receive either prize, taking into account that their identity has never been publicly disclosed. It could make more sense to honor other known early contributors to the ecosystem, nominally former BTC core developer Gavin Andresen, or developer and recipient of the first Bitcoin transaction, Hal Finney.