【????? ??????? ?????】Apple’s macOS has a hidden Bitcoin easter egg

A copy of the Bitcoin whitepaper,????? ??????? ????? a seminal document authored by pseudonymous author Satoshi Nakamoto, can be found in every copy of Apple's macOS since Mojave.

The file, unearthed by Waxy, isn't exactly hidden, though it's not very easy to be found unless you know exactly where to look for. To see it, open the Terminal app and paste the following string into it: "open /System/Library/Image\ Capture/Devices/VirtualScanner.app/Contents/Resources/simpledoc.pdf"

Another way to see it is to open Finder, click on Macintosh HD at the bottom of the window, then System - Library - Image Capture - Devices. There, right click on VirtualScanner.app and choose "Show Package Contents." Open Resources, and click on "simpledoc.pdf."

It's there all right. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable/Apple/Satoshi Nakamoto

The "simpledoc.pdf" is a PDF document containing the nine-page Bitcoin whitepaper in its entirety. It appears to have been put there as one of several sample documents, including another PDF called "numbers.pdf," containing only four numbers in very large typeface, as well as a mysterious image called "cover.jpg," which is a photo that appears to have been taken on Treasure Island in San Francisco.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

This image can be found in the same folder as Satoshi's Bitcoin whitepaper. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable/Apple

The discovery of the image and the Bitcoin whitepaper isn't entirely new; designer Joshua Dickens found them in 2020, though it didn't gain much traction online at the time.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

I found the files on my Mac which runs the latest version of macOS Ventura, 13.2.1, and one of my colleagues at Mashable found it on their Mac, running Big Sur 11.7, as well. The files appear to be there in every copy of macOS since Mojave (10.14.0), which was launched in 2018.

---

Related Stories

---

• Chinese spies charged in Huawei obstruction case after sending Bitcoin bribes
• Tesla sold most of its Bitcoin, but none of its Dogecoin
• Apple iPhones running old software will lose access to App Store, but it’s not as bad as it sounds
• Apple's AirPods case might one day get a touch display
• Apple confirms dates for WWDC 2023

It's unclear why Apple would deliberately choose to include the Bitcoin whitepaper in macOS. The document, titled "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System," was originally published by Nakamoto in 2008 and contains a technical overview of the Bitcoin protocol. Apple has never, to my knowledge, publicly endorsed Bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency; in fact, the company has been fairly reserved when it comes to crypto (unlike, say, Samsung, which includes a cryptocurrency wallet software on its Galaxy phones). CEO Tim Cook did say in 2021 that crypto is something the company is "looking at," though he did also say Apple had nothing crypto-related to announce at the time.

---

Featured Video For You

---

The solution to bitcoin's massive carbon footprint could be...volcanoes? — Future Blink

---

A likely explanation is that an Apple engineer tasked with coming up with some sample documents chose the Bitcoin whitepaper and the mysterious image just for fun, though we're sure the internet will quickly come up with conspiracy theories of all sorts in a minute.

Topics Apple Bitcoin

• focus
• explore
• synthesize
• knowledge
• fashion
• hotspot
• recreation
• relaxation

• ‘Beyond Outrage’ at Digital Gym Cinema
• Dan Bongino has been permanently banned from YouTube
• Trans Santa organizes gift donations to trans youth
• This massive massage robot costs $310,000 and is ready to dominate the human race
• A Love Letter to San Francisco Japantown
• How chronic urinary tract infections (UTIs) affect your sex life
• Peloton is increasing its prices, blaming inflation
• How to not fall for fake N95 masks like Razer's Zephyr
• EWP to Celebrate 20th Anniversary of Producing Artistic Director Tim Dang at ‘One Night Only’
• 'Anonymous Sex' sees 27 writers exploring the erotic without being known

• Ouijazilla, the world's largest Ouija board, makes spooky debut
• Apple's augmented reality glasses to come by mid
• Instagram now has dark mode. Here's how to turn it on.
• 'Jexi' is, unfortunately, a movie fit for the times: Review
• Simone Biles nails signature dismount, now known as 'The Biles'
• The 'Riverdale' Luke Perry tribute is heartbreakingly beautiful
• Porsche unveils electric Taycan 4S, starting at $103,800
• AOC fights back after being accused of... paying for a reasonably priced haircut
• Everything we expect to see at Google's Pixel 4 launch event
• Twitter returns to the Mac, but don't expect too much

• Saved by ‘Sukiyaki’
• This massive massage robot costs $310,000 and is ready to dominate the human race
• What the West Elm Caleb saga on TikTok is really about
• Metro Exodus Ray Tracing Benchmarked
• Finding Answers After the Fall
• TikTok's egg
• Can you recycle sex toys? It depends.
• Make 2022 the year of no expectations
• rigoN: "It's our third Major, we want to go to this arena"
• Peloton will reportedly halt making... basically everything, including all its bikes and treads

• The Shogun of Santas
• Best Value FreeSync Monitors for GeForce Owners
• Noom Mood free for two weeks
• 15 internet moments turning 10 in 2022
• BNE mount T
• The catchiest earworms of 2021 that you just can't get out of your head
• From 'Fleabag' to Taylor Swift, how young people are embracing eras
• Trans Santa organizes gift donations to trans youth
• Astralis beat AGO to go 2
• Metro Exodus Ray Tracing Benchmarked