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A recent blog entry by Andy Baio indicates that a PDF version of Satoshi Nakamoto’s bitcoin whitepaper is reportedly embedded in every macOS release since Mojave in 2018.
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While attempting to fix his printer, Baio inadvertently stumbled upon the file. He found that it is present in all macOS versions from Mojave (10.14.0) onward, including the latest version, Ventura (13.3). However, it was not included in High Sierra (10.13) or earlier iterations.
The inclusion of the whitepaper in macOS has led to speculation about its significance and questions regarding whether Apple has a bitcoin maximalist on staff. Nonetheless, Baio suggests it may have been a practical and lightweight multipage PDF intended for testing purposes, rather than for public visibility.
Mac users can access the whitepaper by opening the Terminal and entering a specific command. Alternatively, they can navigate to the System Library and locate the file within the Image Capture folder.
BTC white paper on macOS snapshot | Source: Baio’s blog
The bitcoin whitepaper serves as an example document for a device in the Image Capture utility known as the “Virtual Scanner II.” The reason for the selection of the whitepaper and the absence or hidden status of the Virtual Scanner II device for certain users remains unclear.
In addition to the whitepaper, the Resources folder of the VirtualScanner.app contains another intriguing file named cover.jpg. This image is a JPG with dimensions of 2,634 by 3,916 pixels, captured on Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay. Photographer Thomas Hawk has identified this location as the one depicted in a similar photograph he took in 2008.
Here’s a mystery: why do I have an Image Capture device called Virtual Scanner II on my Mac? It shows a preview of a painted sign that for some reason closely resembles a photo by @thomashawk on ‘clustershot’? But not exactly — the scanned version looks more weathered. pic.twitter.com/jPb5kx3NyS
— Josh D (@schwa23) November 28, 2020
The discovery of the bitcoin whitepaper within macOS has generally piqued the community’s interest in cryptocurrencies and raised questions about its presence. While it may not have been intentionally included, its existence serves as a notable reminder of the innovative technology that bitcoin represents.
