The true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto, the enigmatic creator of Bitcoin, has captivated the crypto community and beyond since the original cryptocurrency’s initial launch in 2009. An unknown person or organization, using the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, authored the revolutionary Bitcoin whitepaper that catalyzed the emergence of the trillion dollar blockchain industry. Yet 15 years later, Nakamoto’s true identity remains unknown and he disappeared from public view in 2011 after leaving the community and the project in the hands of others.
This has led the crypto community to continuously speculate who Nakamoto is, though it’s generally accepted that Nakamoto’s anonymity was intentionally designed to avoid having a known central figure and bolster Bitcoin’s decentralized ethos. Some believe that Nakamoto has either already passed away or will never reveal themselves anyways due to the personal and legal implications that such a reveal could bring. Nevertheless, throughout the years several individuals have faced strong speculation to be the real Satoshi Nakamoto. With a recent HBO documentary shining the light back on this intriguing topic, it’s now more appropriate than ever to dig into the man and myth behind Bitcoin’s founding.
Historical Speculation on Possible Identities
Nick Szabo: A computer scientist and legal scholar, Szabo is known for introducing the idea of smart contracts in a 1996 paper. In 2008, he proposed a decentralized currency called Bit Gold, which effectively functioned as a precursor to Bitcoin. Bit Gold was intended as "a protocol whereby unforgeable costly bits could be created online with minimal reliance on trusted third parties," echoing the principles behind Bitcoin's decentralized network in which computers act as nodes to independently verify transactions. In his book Bitcoin: The Future of Money?, author Dominic Frisby argues that Szabo may be Satoshi Nakamoto. Frisby noted similarities between Szabo's writing style and Nakamoto’s, and both individuals have referenced economist Carl Menger in their writings. Szabo’s experience at DigiCash, an early digital currency project, further supports this conclusion. However, Szabo has always denied the claim.
Nick Szabo
Dorian Nakamoto: In March 2014, Newsweek identified Dorian Nakamoto as the possible creator of Bitcoin. The magazine article pointed to certain similarities between Dorian and the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto, such as their name, shared libertarian values and Japanese heritage. Dorian, a physics graduate from California Polytechnic with experience working on classified defense projects, was reportedly quoted by the article's author as saying he was "no longer" involved with Bitcoin and had "turned it over" to others. However, Dorian later denied making the statement. He clarified that he had misunderstood the question and that he had no idea what Bitcoin was.
Dorian Nakamoto
Craig Wright: Most people who are suspected of being Satoshi Nakamoto have either denied the claim or stayed silent, but this is not the case with Craig Wright. In December 2015, Wired published a profile on Wright and linked him to Satoshi Nakamoto. The publication cited several pieces of evidence: a "cryptocurrency paper" on Wright's blog dated months before the Bitcoin white paper, leaked emails referencing a “P2P distributed ledger,” and transcripts where he allegedly claimed, “I did my best to try and hide the fact that I’ve been running Bitcoin since 2009.” However, doubts soon emerged as Wired found inconsistencies, such as possible backdating of blog entries and public encryption keys associated with Satoshi. Many in the crypto community, including Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, have denounced Wright as a fraud. Nevertheless, Wright leveraged the publicity to become a notable figure in crypto, leading a contentious fork of Bitcoin Cash to create Bitcoin SV. After fighting a multitude of legal battles, Wright’s claims were officially legally dismissed in March 2024 as London’s High Court Judge James Mellor cited a myriad of evidence to conclude that Wright was not Satoshi.
Craight Wright
Renewed Speculation Following HBO’s Electric Money: The Bitcoin Mystery
In October 2024, HBO released a brand new documentary titled Electric Money: The Bitcoin Mystery, in which filmmaker Cullen Hoback presented new evidence and proposals on the true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto.
Len Sassaman: Prior to the release of the documentary, the crypto community was abuzz with speculation on who the film would ultimately posit to be Nakamoto. Betting platforms like Polymarket heavily leaned towards Leonard Harris “Len” Sassaman, a cypherpunk and cryptographer who was active in the late 2000s and worked with other prominent cryptographers of the time like Hal Finney. One factor that drives speculation about Sassaman being Satoshi Nakamoto is the close timing between Nakamoto's last message and Sassaman's death. Nakamoto sent his final email to the Bitcoin community on April 23, 2011, roughly two months before Sassaman’s death. Furthermore, there is a tribute to Sassaman on the Bitcoin blockchain. However, the documentary’s primary suspicion turned out to not be on Sassaman, and his widow also publicly stated that she did not believe he was Satoshi.
Tribute to Len Sassaman on the Bitcoin blockchain
Peter Todd: The HBO documentary finally unveiled Peter Todd, a 39-year-old Canadian software developer who was instrumental in Bitcoin’s early development, to be the true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto. Filmmaker Cullen Hoback supports his theory with evidence showing Peter Todd’s online chat message that was written seemingly as a continuation of one of Satoshi’s posts at the time. The film also cites Todd’s admission that he once intentionally destroyed a large amount of digital coins, which lines up with Satoshi’s actions. However, following the documentary’s release, Todd himself denies its claims and argues that Hoback’s evidence is purely coincidental and circumstantial. There are even reports of Todd going into hiding due to receiving an influx of requests for financial help, as well as harassment and threats since the film’s release. While the majority of the Bitcoin community seem to be unconvinced by Hoback’s documentary, the filmmaker remains convinced that Peter Todd is the enigmatic founder of Bitcoin.
Peter Todd - speculated by filmmaker Cullen Hoback to be Satoshi
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