A new HBO documentary about the origins of Bitcoin suggests that Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of the original cryptocurrency, is likely Canadian software developer Peter Todd.
Called “Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery,” the 100-minute film on Oct 8 features interviews with a handful of people who’d been involved with Bitcoin from early on, including long-time Satoshi candidate Adam Back, investor Roger Ver, Bitcoin marketer Samson Mow and Todd.
The documentary’s creator, Cullen Hoback, used circumstantial evidence such as postings from an early Bitcoiner forum, to guess that Todd is Satoshi Nakamoto. When confronted, Todd shrugged off the idea, and called the suggestion “ludicrous.” Like several people in the film, Todd said, at one point, “I am Satoshi Nakamoto,” while seemingly laughing the idea off.
Who exactly Satoshi Nakamoto is — a person or a group — has been subject of much speculation since Bitcoin’s launch in January 2009. The cryptocurrency has since burst onto the mainstream, ending up on the books of companies like MicroStrategy Inc. and part of US exchange-traded funds, holding billions of dollars worth of the token. Over the years, various publications have suggested a variety of people were Satoshi Nakamoto. In 2014, Newsweek claimed he was physicist Dorian Nakamoto, which he denied. In 2015, the New York Times pointed the finger at computer scientist Nick Szabo. Australian Craig Wright famously proclaimed himself to be Satoshi Nakamoto, until a UK judge ruled he is not Bitcoin’s creator.
Todd is listed as an applied cryptography consultant on developer platform GitHub, which says he is based in Toronto. A LinkedIn profile for someone of the same name lists him as “Chief Naysayer” at Bitcoin security provider Coinkite, chief scientist at anonymizing wallet service Dark Wallet and chief scientist at project Mastercoin. He graduated with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Integrated Media from OCAD University in 2011, according to the LinkedIn profile.
The whitepaper outlining Bitcoin came out in 2008, while the Bitcoin network came online in 2009. Todd has been discussed as a possible Satoshi Nakamoto for years.
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Even though Satoshi Nakamoto hasn’t been heard of since 2011, he or they continue to be of importance. Satoshi Nakamoto’s wallets hold around 1 million Bitcoin, worth about US$62.4 billion ($81.34 billion) at current prices. Any moves by the Bitcoin creator could crash the price. But the creator’s tokens haven’t moved in many years.
The creator’s identity could also have a profound impact on governments’ and corporations’ willingness to continue to adopt the world’s biggest cryptocurrency.
