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In a new twist to the ongoing mystery surrounding the true identity of Bitcoin’s creator, Peter Todd, a well-known Canadian Bitcoin developer has been named as a potential candidate for the role of Satoshi Nakamoto.
This claim was presented in the HBO documentary Money Electric: The Bitcoin History directed by Cullen Hoback, which aired recently, sending a debate through the cryptocurrency community.
The documentary, explaining how Bitcoin came into being and who the real Satoshi Nakamoto is, points out that Todd, who has been involved in some significant blockchain project development, can possibly be Nakamoto.
Peter Todd is a respected figure in the crypto world, having contributed to significant blockchain projects such as OpenTimestamps, Counterparty, Mastercoin, and Zcash. His work in space, particularly his technical expertise, has been widely recognized. However, being named as a potential Satoshi Nakamoto came as a shock to many, including Todd himself.
Cullen Hoback, the documentary’s director, bases his claim on a series of cryptic remarks and online interactions. In particular, Hoback highlights a statement Todd allegedly made in a chat log, where he referred to himself as the "world’s leading expert on how to sacrifice your bitcoins." Hoback speculates that this might be an indirect admission that Todd had destroyed access to the 1.1 million bitcoins that are believed to be owned by Satoshi Nakamoto.
Another key point in the documentary’s argument is a purported incident in 2010, where Todd supposedly replied to a post on the BitcoinTalk forum made by Nakamoto, accidentally using his own account.
Despite the intriguing narrative woven by Hoback, Todd has been quick to dismiss these claims. Before the documentary even aired, Todd took to social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) to categorically deny any connection to Nakamoto. "I’m not Satoshi," Todd tweeted, calling the documentary’s assertions "ludicrous."
Interestingly, Todd’s name was not even a primary consideration in betting markets prior to the documentary’s release. Popular prediction platform Polymarket had listed other figures like Len Sassaman, Adam Back and Nick Szabo as leading contenders for Satoshi’s identity. Todd was eventually included in the “Other/Multiple” category, where 99% of bets landed after leaked footage suggested his involvement.
The crypto community’s reaction to this theory has been mixed. While many find the idea of Todd being Satoshi Nakamoto far-fetched, the ongoing mystery surrounding Bitcoin’s origins leaves room for speculation.
The mystery of who Satoshi Nakamoto remains is a recurrent fixation not merely of the crypto ecosystem, but even among those ordinary people who find it fascinating to imagine that such a concept as a multi-billion-dollar currency can be born, thanks to its anonymous inventor. Different people have been suggested through the years, but none has so far been conclusively proved to be the Nakamoto in question.
So far, Peter Todd is the last one to be included as the creator of Bitcoin. However, he keeps on refraining from the liability. An HBO film does tend, however; to get attention, and not only toward his person but also toward the very search for Satoshi Nakamoto.
