Is Peter Todd Satoshi Nakamoto?

HBO's latest documentary, “Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery,” suggests that Peter Todd, the developer of Core Bitcoin, may be the enigmatic Satoshi Nakamoto. Thus, filmmaker Cullen Hoback's confirmation has sparked controversy and skepticism in the crypto community.

Satoshi Nakamoto, the man behind Bitcoin, In 2008, he launched cryptocurrency with a white paper, which sparked a financial revolution.

Peter Todd says he's not Satoshi Nakamoto.

In the year By 2024, Bitcoin has grown to a fortune of $1.23 trillion, with Nakamoto's personal fortune estimated at nearly $70 billion. Nakamoto's true identity has remained a well-kept secret despite intense scrutiny.

Read more: Satoshi Nakamoto – Who is the founder of Bitcoin?

In the film, Hoback explores this mystery with a new theory – the 1980s. Todd, who joined the Bitcoin scene in 2010, is actually Nakamoto. This hypothesis is supported by a series of circumstantial evidence and coincidences.

For example, Todd's academic schedule fits Nakamoto's posting patterns. Additionally, certain forum interactions may suggest that Todd continues the conversation as Nakamoto.

In the film, Hoback highlights an interview in which Todd describes himself as “the world's leading expert on how to sacrifice your Bitcoins.” Hoback interprets this as Todd not being able to access Nakamoto's bitcoin reserves. However, Todd vehemently denies these claims, calling them “ridiculous”.

“When you put this into the documentary and you see a bunch of Bitcoiners watching it, it's going to be really funny,” Todd said in the documentary.

Additionally, the documentary delves into Todd's background, noting his work on Bitcoin-related projects such as OpenTimestamps and privacy-focused cryptocurrencies, including Zcash (ZEC). However, Todd has consistently denied the idea that it was Nakamoto, which he has repeatedly expressed on social media platforms.

“I'm not Satoshi,” Todd said on X (Twitter).

Critics of the documentary argue that Hoback's evidence is speculative at best. Moreover, Todd was relatively unknown in the early days of Bitcoin, so he may not have the necessary experience to write a Bitcoin white paper.

Nakamoto's absence from online forums also coincides remarkably with Todd's rise into the Bitcoin community, adding another layer of intrigue to Hoback's narrative. Despite these hints, the film fails to provide concrete evidence, leaving viewers with a lack of clarity.

Read more: The best Bitcoin documentaries to watch in 2024

As it stands, the documentary doesn't change the widely held belief that Nakamoto's identity should remain anonymous, in keeping with the mysterious creator's desire for privacy.

“It doesn't matter who Satoshi is, that's what matters. Satoshi was smart to remain anonymous, not only to avoid being targeted, but because the press would do the whole bitcoin thing about them and their personalities, which would greatly reduce the quality of the conversation. Tezos told Encrypto.