Yesterday (3rd of August 2016), at exactly 01:58:35 PM GMT, what seems to be the most growing bitcointalk.org thread of all times has been created by a user named rekcahxfb under the title 1000 BTC GIVEAWAY! From your friend rekcahxfb. At first glance this seems as a hype post with nothing behind. However the user's post displays a proof of funds, a signed message and a signed nlocktime transaction (dead man's switch) in case something happens to them.
Some comments further, after being asked about the source of their funds, rekcahxfb gives a hint about their identity:
reverse my name
And the reversed name is ... wait for it :) ... bfxhacker.
The giveaway is open for one week, and the terms, as stated by rekcahxfb, are:
Post your address below. Random winner will be selected 1 week from now. No alts/sockpuppets
Some participants suggested that it would be better if there were 100 winners of 10 BTC each or 1000 winners of 1 BTC each.
In the time of writing, the topic has 126 pages and 2515 posts (the vast majority of them being participants' bitcoin addresses).
Knowing the identity of the giver does not seem to dissuade users from participating. I mean, these are stolen funds. Some may consider rekcahxfb a Robin Hood. As far as I know, Robin Hood stole from the fraudulently rich to feed the starving poor. I think nobody knows for a fact how people who lost their funds did earn them, for all we know these are hard-earned bitcoins. Of course all the other scenarios are possible ...
The thread is growing at an incredible rate and it is less than one day old. It will probably have gathered two or three more pages by the time I post this :).
Such a giveaway won't probably do any good to Bitcoin's market price, I don't really know if donating 1000 BTC would affect the price though.
I genuinely do not support such a giveaway and don't advise anyone to participate, unless the winner returns the funds to their rightful owners.
I am now realizing that some readers might be tempted to participate after reading this post and I hope this won't happen. The aim of this post is to relay what seemed to me, an important and unexpected piece of news.
I'd be more than happy to read your thoughts about this event, whether you support it or not, are okay with it or not, all opinions are welcome.
Oh! I almost forgot the link to the thread on bitcointalk.org :).