JorgeStolfi
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April 24, 2015, 02:04:42 PM

I would expect that it won't be long for someone to suggest a core change which blocks or otherwise restricts transactions against those early addresses.  This would dispel the spectre of the early days and then maybe Satoshi can step out of the shadows and claim credit for his work without risking his life or that of his family/friends.

If bitcoin survives and grows, I think that it is quite likely that the protocol will be amended with a government-mandated "black list" of coins that cannot be moved, and a "white list" of transactions that must be accepted even without a valid signature. 

If bitcoin succeeds, it is even possible that the current blockchain will have to be junked, and a new blockchain be restarted with suitable legal constraints and devices.

In either case, the bitcoiners who understand the goals of bitcoin will surely scream and claim (with reason) that those violations of the basic principles render the coin worthless.  The other 99% will not even understand what the fuss is about, and will mostly ignore the changes, or even approve them...