There are mathematical patterns throughout Bitcoin that repeatedly result in the numbers 3, 6 and 9, which show it may be the key to the universe.
This is an opinion editorial by Ella Hough, a student at Cornell University, pursuing degrees in cognitive science and moral psychology.
Recently, I’ve been looking into some of the numbers associated with Bitcoin. While I haven’t exactly come to an overarching conclusion, I find the very common presence of 0, 1, 2, and 6 together fascinating, along with 3 and 9.
I believe Bitcoin is the “key” to solving many of the issues humanity faces, but I was curious if math thought so too.
Also, possibly irrelevant but still interesting is the lack of 2* or 8 being a solution to any of the equations outlined below.
Note: In all instances throughout this article, I add the numerals until I reach 1 digit.
Let’s use the date this was written as an example: August 9, 2022.
08 + 09 + 2022 = 2039
2 + 0 + 3 + 9 = 14
1 + 4 = 5
Answer = 5
6102. 2,016. 21 and 6 zeroes. 21st century.
Question: 0, 1, 2, and 6. What do these numbers have in common?
Answer: Bitcoin.
6 + 1 + 0 + 2 = 9
04 + 05 + 1933 = 1942 → 1 + 9 + 4 + 2 = 16 → 1 + 6 = 7
05 + 01 + 1933 = 1939 → 1 + 9 + 3 + 9 = 22 → 2 + 2 = 4
2 + 0 + 6 + 7 = 15 → 1 + 5 = 6
4 + 3 + 3 = 10 → 1 + 0 = 1
2 + 0 + 2 + 1 = 5
2 + 0 + 1 + 6 = 9
This bitcoin mining difficulty update every 2,016 blocks is a palindrome of 6102.
There are 21,000,000 bitcoin.
2 + 1 + 6 zeroes = 9
If you would rather not count “6 zeroes”:
2 + 1 = 3
I believe it is no accident there are 21,000,000 bitcoin. I believe the connection between 0, 1, 2 and 6 is purposeful. I believe the fact that bitcoin’s mining difficulty is updated every 2,016 (a reverse of 6102) blocks shows a reversal in history, that your property is yours, no one can take it from you, and a reversal in precedent that the money supply is not something that can always be increased.
“Sound money… protects value across time, which gives people a bigger incentive to think of their future …When economic decision making is geared toward the future…People become more peaceful and cooperative…People develop a strong sense of morality, prioritizing the moral choices that will cause the best long-term outcomes for them and their children.”
This reality described is the final proof as to why I believe bitcoin of 21 and 6 zeroes are tools for the 21st century and will bring about positive change.
21st century → 2 + 1 = 3
October 31, 2008: The Bitcoin white paper was published, sparking an “Economic Reformation.”
10 + 31 + 2008 = 2049 → 2 + 0 + 4 + 9 = 15 → 1 + 5 = 6
10 + 31 + 1517 = 1558 → 1 + 5 + 5 + 8 = 19 → 1 + 9 = 10 → 1 + 0 = 1
January 3, 2009: The genesis block is mined and the Bitcoin network was created.
01 + 03 + 2009 = 2013 → 2 + 0 + 1 + 3 = 6
01 + 03 + 1521 = 1525 → 1 + 5 + 2 + 5 = 13 → 1 + 3 = 4
February 2140: Last bitcoin mined — 02 + 2140 = 2142 → 2 + 1 + 4 + 2 = 9
Time duration of bitcoin mining: 2140 – 2009 = 131 years → 1 + 3 + 1 = 5
The panic of 1893: The Gilded Age, a time of prosperity after the gold standard was restored, was interrupted once in 1893. Congress was convinced by newly inaugurated President Grover Cleveland to repeal silver purchased by the Treasury. The 21 below symbolizes that the 21 million bitcoin will prevent such chaos from ensuing again.
1893 → 1 + 8 + 9 + 3 = 21 → 2 + 1 = 3
1929 → 1 + 9 + 2 + 9 = 21 → 2 + 1 = 3
120 → 1 + 2 = 3
2008 – 1948 = 60 → 6 + 0 = 6
18 → 1 + 8 = 9
1947 → 1 + 9 + 4 + 7 = 21 → 2 + 1 = 3
July 26, 1947: Department of Defense Established
07 + 26 + 1947 = 1980 → 1 + 9 + 8 + 0 = 18 → 1 + 8 = 9
1947 → 1 + 9 + 4 + 7 = 21 → 2 + 1 = 3
In Satoshi Nakamoto’s Bitcoin white paper, the word “network” is mentioned exactly 21 times. Regardless of whether this was a purposeful action by Nakamoto, I choose to believe it speaks to the immense power Bitcoin holds to foster connection.
21 → 2 + 1 = 3
Computers can only process binary information (0s and 1s), and the smallest unit of information is called a bit (hence, bitcoin). The ASCII Code was created to encode characters using 8 bits (a string of eight 0s and 1s).
Given how foundational the number 8 is to computers, I find it incredibly interesting that 8 is not a solution to any of the equations in this article.
However, ASCII is limited to only 256 characters. Unicode was created to be universally inclusive and covers 128,000-plus characters.
To analyze text in computer code, you need to relate each character to binary. This relation is done by giving each letter a decimal value.
Let’s pause, for a moment, and explain how this decimal value is acquired.
Example: The letter “b” has a decimal value of 98.
What combination of 128, 64, 32, 16, 8, 4, 2, and 1 equals 98?
128 is too large, so let’s turn that “off.” Right now, our string of 8 bits looks like: 0XXXXXXX.
Now, let’s look for the largest powers of 2:
98 = 64 + … ?
= 64 + 32 + …?
= 64 + 32 + 2
Ok, so: 2^6, 2^5, and 2^1 can be turned “on.”
Now, our string of 8 bits looks like this: 01100010.
However, let’s say we were given the binary, not the decimal value. The value at 2^7 has a 0, so that means it is turned off; 128 is not in our equation; 2^6 has a 1, so that means it is turned “on”; 64 is in our equation. Follow this pattern, and your summation will equal 98.
Given Bitcoin’s relationship to the core of computers (through “bit”), I analyzed the letters of important words in Bitcoin (by using their decimal values from the chart above) in search of 3s, 6s and 9s.
“Satoshi Nakamoto.”
There are 15 letters in “Satoshi Nakamoto.” Adding the numerals 1 + 5 , you obtain the answer 6.
15 → 1 + 5 = 6
Now, using the ASCII decimal values from the chart above:
83 + 97 + 116 + 111 + 115 + 104 + 32 (space) + 105 + 78 + 97 + 107 + 97 + 109 + 111 + 156 + 111 = 1629
1629 → 1 + 6 + 2 + 9 = 18 → 1 + 8 = 9
“satoshi nakamoto”
115 + 97 + 116 + 111 + 115 + 104 + 32 (space) + 105 + 110 + 97 + 107 + 97 + 109 + 111 + 156 + 111 = 1693
1693 = 1 + 6 + 9 + 3 = 19 = 10 = 1
“Martin Luther”
There are 12 letters in “Martin Luther.” Adding the numerals 1 + 2 , you obtain the answer 3.
12 → 1+ 2 = 3
Now, using the ASCII decimal values from the chart above:
77 + 97 + 114 + 116 + 105 + 110 + 32 (space) + 76 + 117 + 116 + 104 + 101 + 114 = 1279
1279 → 1 + 2 + 7 + 9 = 19 → 1 + 9 = 10 → 1 + 0 = 1
“martin luther”
109 + 97 + 114 + 116 + 105 + 110 + 32 (space) + 108 + 117 + 116 + 104 + 101 + 114 = 1343
1343 → 1 + 3 + 4 + 3 = 11 → 1 + 1 = 2
*The one exception to “2” not being a solution.
Now, as I looked at the words “bitcoin,” “bitcon” (no repeated letters), “BITCOIN,” and “BITCON” (no repeated letters), I experimented, calculating the sums horizontally (as you’ve previously seen me do), vertically (simplifying all individual decimal values to one digit) and when repeated, letters/numbers were removed.
“bitcoin”
98 + 105 + 116 + 99 + 111 + 105 + 110 = 744 → 7 + 4 + 4 = 15 → 1 + 5 = 6
^
8 + 6 + 8 + 9 + 3 + 6 + 2 = 42 → 4 + 2 = 6
^
8 + 6 + 9 + 3 + 2 = 28 → 2 + 8 = 10 → 1 + 0 = 1 (w/ no repeated #s)
“bitcon” (w/ no repeated letters):
98 + 105 + 116 + 99 + 111 + 110 = 639 → 6 + 3 + 9 = 18 → 1 + 8 = 9
^
8 + 6 + 8 + 9 + 3 + 2 = 36 → 3 + 6 = 9
^
8 + 6 + 9 + 3 + 2 = 28 → 2 + 8 = 10 → 1 + 0 = 1 (w/ no repeated #s)
“BITCOIN”
66 + 73 + 84 + 67 + 79 + 73 + 78 = 520 → 5 + 2 + 0 = 7
^
3 + 1 + 3 + 4 + 7 + 1 + 6 = 25 → 2 + 5 = 7
^
3 + 1 + 4 + 7 + 6 = 21 → 2 + 1 = 3 (w/ no repeated #s)
BITCON (w/ no repeated letters):
66 + 73 + 84 + 67 + 79 + 78 = 447 = 15 → 1 + 5 = 6
^
3 + 1 + 3 + 4 + 7 + 6 = 24 → 2 + 4 = 6
^
3 + 1 + 4 + 7 + 6 = 21 → 2 + 1 = 3 (w/ no repeated #s)
BTC
66 + 84 + 67 = 217 → 2 + 1 + 7 = 10 → 1 + 0 = 1
Yes, BTC is #1.
A few months ago, I saw the reappearance of 0, 1, 2 and 6 in core elements of Bitcoin as too purposeful to be a coincidence. Curious about other symbolic elements of Bitcoin, hidden in numbers, I started a running note of important dates and people related to Bitcoin.
This article showcases the first 45 summations of that note, analyzed to see if bitcoin has a connection to 3, 6 and 9, supposedly the keys to the universe. Let’s look at a tally:
3: 11 times
6: 9 times
9: 9 times
1: 7 times
5: 3 times
7: 3 times
4: 2 times
2: 1 time
8: 0 times
3, 6, and 9: 29 times = 64%.
My answer is yes. Bitcoin does have a connection to 3, 6 and 9. From these numbers, which are selective, math thinks Bitcoin is 64% of the key to the universe. However, I still believe bitcoin is the key to solving many of the issues our world faces; it is our number one tool, and maybe math really does think so, too: 64 → 6 + 4 = 10 → 1 + 0 = 1.
This is a guest post by Ella Hough. Opinions expressed are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of BTC Inc. or Bitcoin Magazine.
