Bitcoin.org Domain Registered

On August 18, 2008, the domain name bitcoin.org was registered through AnonymousSpeech, a service that allowed users to buy domains anonymously. This was the first public footprint of the Bitcoin project, occurring more than two months before the release of the whitepaper. The registration indicates that Satoshi Nakamoto had already named the project and was meticulously preparing the infrastructure for its release, ensuring that the project would have a home independent of any existing platform.

The choice of a .org domain (traditionally used for non-profits and open-source projects) rather than a .com signaled that Bitcoin was intended to be a public utility or community project rather than a commercial startup. This domain would serve as the central hub for the project, hosting the whitepaper, the source code, and the original forums where Satoshi communicated with early adopters. The anonymity of the registration was a deliberate security measure; Satoshi understood that launching a currency that competed with state monopolies would invite hostile scrutiny.

For years, bitcoin.org was the primary source of truth for the Bitcoin software. Satoshi maintained control of the domain until 2011, when he handed it over to other developers (including Martti Malmi and eventually others) before disappearing. The anonymous registration of bitcoin.org established the project's commitment to pseudonymity and open-source governance from day one, ensuring that the network could not be shut down by attacking a central corporate entity.

Key Sources:
• WHOIS Lookup: bitcoin.org Registration Date
• Bitcointalk: Discussion on bitcoin.org history
• Bitcoin.org: About Us