Bitcoin’s White Paper Has Been in Every MacOS Version Since 2018

A copy of the original Bitcoin white paper written by Satoshi Nakamoto has been found in every modern version of Apple’s Mac computers.

Several Apple users have disclosed that they stumbled on the file while using their devices for unrelated operations. They found the file in different Mac versions, from Mojave (10.14.0), launched in 2018, to the current version and the recently released Ventura (13.3).

Bitcoin White Paper Hidden in MacOS Since 2018

In a recent blog post, American technologist Andy Baio suggested that the PDF file has been shipped with every copy of macOS since 2018, as it was not found in older Mac versions like High Sierra (10.13), released in 2017.

Baio shared that he found the file while fixing his printer to scan a document. A device named “Virtual Scanner ||,” which he had never seen before popped up, and after a few more clicks, he saw the Bitcoin white paper used as a sample document for the device.

The technologist also asked more than a dozen of his Mac-using friends to check their computers. Using the command: “open/System/Library/Image\Capture/Devices/VirtualScanner.app/Contents/Resources/simpledoc.pdf,” all found a copy of the whitepaper on their devices.

The blogger also located another file named “cover.jpg” stored in the resources folder, where he found a JPEG photo of a sign taken on Treasure Island in the San Francisco Bay by photographer Thomas Hawk.

Why Bitcoin’s White Paper?

It is worth noting that before Baio’s recent discovery, some Apple users had already shared similar findings. In November 2020, designer Joshua Dickens tweeted that he came across both files on his Mac. In April 2021, another Mac user named bernd178 reported the same experience in the MacOS community forum.

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“It shows a photo by Thomas Hawk. I also found the device in /System/Library/Image Capture/Devices. Weirdly, there is also a PDF with the original Bitcoin white paper from Satoshi Nakamoto in the VirtualScanner.app Package Content. Why is this in /System? Is this really from Apple? What is it good for?” bernd178 asked.

It remains unclear why Bitcoin’s white paper would be found in Apple’s products. Despite reports from several users over the past two years, the technology company is yet to comment on the issue, showing no plans to make amends.