In a highly anticipated development, HBO is set to release a documentary titled "Money Electric: the Bitcoin Mystery" on October 8, 2024, which claims to have identified Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin. Directed by Cullen Hoback, the documentary names Peter Todd, a Bitcoin core developer since 2010, as the possible real-world identity of Nakamoto. This revelation could have significant implications for financial markets and even the upcoming U.S. presidential election, especially considering that Nakamoto is estimated to control about 1.1 million Bitcoin, potentially worth around $69 billion [f45bd02d][1e694979].
Just hours before the documentary's premiere, Peter Todd publicly denied being Satoshi Nakamoto, describing Hoback's theory as "grasping at straws". Todd acknowledged that he participated in an interview for the documentary but labeled the claims as ludicrous. He humorously stated, "I am Satoshi, as is everyone else," reflecting the ongoing speculation surrounding Nakamoto's identity [a3490421].
The documentary comes at a time when recent activity in dormant wallets from the 'Satoshi era' has sparked renewed speculation about Nakamoto's identity. Satoshi published the Bitcoin white paper on October 31, 2008, and vanished from public view in 2010, leading to numerous attempts to uncover their identity. Previous claims have included Dorian Nakamoto in 2014 and Craig Wright in 2016, the latter of whom was ruled out by a British High Court in March 2024, further complicating the narrative surrounding Bitcoin's origins [f45bd02d].
Peter Todd, who is Canadian and began contributing to Bitcoin's code in 2012, has a complex history within the cryptocurrency community. He was involved in the Bitcoin blocksize war from 2015 to 2017, advocating for maintaining the 1 megabyte limit. Todd also founded OpenTimestamps and has worked on projects like Counterparty and Zcash. In 2019, he faced allegations of sexual misconduct, leading to a defamation suit in 2020, which adds another layer of complexity to his public persona [e1661fa8].
Public speculation has included various figures such as Hal Finney, Nick Szabo, Adam Back, Wei Dai, and Len Sassaman, each linked to Bitcoin's creation in different ways. The HBO documentary teases new clues regarding Satoshi's identity but does not promise definitive proof, leaving the mystery unresolved. Betting odds from Polymarket currently show a 78.5% likelihood favoring "Other/Multiple" for Satoshi's identity, indicating widespread uncertainty [a3490421]. As Bitcoin's market value hovers around $68 billion, the ongoing search for Satoshi Nakamoto continues to captivate both enthusiasts and skeptics alike [4f5211b7].
The narrative surrounding Nakamoto's identity is further enriched by Benjamin Wallace's book "The Mysterious Mr. Nakamoto", which explores over a hundred candidates for Satoshi's identity, including Hal Finney, who remains a leading candidate despite evidence against him. Cullen Hoback's documentary claims to reveal Satoshi's identity, citing circumstantial evidence against Todd, which has led to market reactions and speculation regarding Satoshi's dormant coins [1e694979].