HBO documentary filmmaker Cullen Hoback has named Peter Todd, a Bitcoin core developer, the person he believes to be the real-world identity of Satoshi Nakamoto, the mysterious creator of Bitcoin. However, Todd, who has been involved with Bitcoin since 2010, strongly denied the claim, calling Hoback’s theory “grasping at straws.”
Satoshi Nakamoto created Bitcoin, a giant in the cryptocurrency world. He has not come out in the open since the publication of the Bitcoin white paper in 2008. As much as many people have tried to guess their identities for many years, their actual identity has not been revealed. Bitcoin, worth $1.2 trillion, is regarded to have been manipulated by Nakamoto, who is estimated to have ownership of about 1.1 million bitcoins. Currently, the value of these Bitcoins is over $70 billion.
In the documentary “Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery,” Hoback presented his theory. He suggested that Nakamoto’s pseudonym was meant to lend Bitcoin credibility by associating it with a famous cryptographer rather than a “kid still in school.” He then asked Todd if he could be Nakamoto, as Todd was completing his fine arts degree in 2008.
Hoback Claims Peter Todd Linked to Bitcoin’s Creation, Cites BitcoinTalk Post
Hoback went a step further to expand on his theory by pointing out that Todd participated in the creation of Bitcoin. He also referred to a post on BitcoinTalk made in 2010. According to him, it was made using Todd’s account by mistake. Moreover, Todd’s work on Bitcoin Improvement Proposal 125 was introduced in 2015. He speculated that Todd may have used an anonymous BitcoinTalk persona, John Dillon, as a cover for these actions.
Todd’s theory is based on a chat log where he mentioned “sacrificing” his bitcoins. Hoback interpreted this as an admission that Todd destroyed his access to the Bitcoin believed to be held by Nakamoto. However, Todd refuted this claim, saying it was ludicrous. He also denied that he is John Dillon. In this regard, he said that if these events were to be included in a documentary, the Bitcoin community would probably find it funny.
Some of the clips aired before the documentary was complete went viral on social media. They sparked discussions among cryptocurrency users.
Peter Todd is a Canadian developer, who contributed to Bitcoin’s code in 2012. He is famous for his work during the “blocksize war” and his involvement in privacy projects like Zcash. Therefore, Todd has long been a prominent figure in the Bitcoin ecosystem. However, despite Hoback’s claims, Todd maintains that he is not Satoshi Nakamoto.
