Key Takeaways Cryptographer Hal Finney passed away on August 28, 2014, after a five-year battle with ALS. The 10 BTC Satoshi Nakamoto sent him in January 2009 would be worth over $800,000 today. Theories tying Finney to Satoshi Nakamoto’s true identity still circulate 12 years after his death. A Signature Before Bitcoin Had a Price Before bitcoin had a massive price tag attached to it, it had its first true recipient. On January 12, 2009, Finney became the first person to receive a bitcoin transaction, when Satoshi Nakamoto sent him 10 BTC in what is now recognized as the moment …