in this story
Who created Bitcoin? Is it finally known? Probably not.
“Money Electric: The Mystery of Bitcoin” New HBO (WBD) In a documentary that premiered on Tuesday, former Bitcoin developer Peter Todd claims to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin. Hours before the documentary was released, a 39-year-old Canadian software designer who was involved in the early development of Bitcoin denied the claims. He said he is not the creator of Bitcoin.
If this documentary is to be believed, Todd was only 23 years old when the Bitcoin white paper was released. This claim raises eyebrows because it is hard to believe that an individual at such a young age could have single-handedly spearheaded a financial revolution of this magnitude.
Cryptocurrency community ridicules documentary filmmaker Karen Hoback criticized for lack of factual accuracy And it relies more on suspense than content. Many in the community feel that Hoback prioritized sensationalism over thorough investigation, turning an insightful exploration into a speculative thriller.
Hoback is known for previously directing the documentary series “.Q: Into the Storm” exposed Q as the founder of the QAnon conspiracy theory, a far-right political movement that emerged on the bulletin board 8chan in 2017.
What is in the documentary?
This documentary mainly explores: Bitcoin’s established historycovering familiar ground that has been commonly known for many years. Revisit the origins of Bitcoin and explore why it was created and how it evolved into a mainstream financial asset.
It's not until the final 15 minutes that the director suddenly shifts focus to Peter Todd and suggests he may be Bitcoin's anonymous founder Satoshi Nakamoto. This sudden change in direction feels rushed and requires more depth to back up such a bold claim, leaving viewers questioning the credibility of the documentary as a whole.
The filmmakers focused on Peter Todd's early interest in cryptography, his relationship with Adam Back (a prominent Bitcoin figure with whom Satoshi Nakamoto came into contact), and the linguistic variations in spelling and grammar that suggest Satoshi's Canadian origins. He supports his claims by recounting Peter Todd's background, including similarities. The central discussion involves a 2010 forum post in which Todd responded to Satoshi. The filmmakers suggest that this is a coincidental continuation of Todd's own account, rather than Satoshi's. Despite these claims, the documentary falls short of conclusively proving that Todd is Satoshi Nakamoto.
Peter Todd laughs at filmmakers
In a conversation between Hoback and Todd at the end of the documentary, the latter laughs at the filmmaker, saying, You come up with some crazy theories. That's ridiculous. ” Todd added jokingly. “But I'll tell you, of course, I'm Satoshi. And I'm Craig Wright.”
Craig Wright is an Australian scientist who has consistently claimed to be the creator of Bitcoin. Earlier this year, he was referred to British prosecutors. suspected of perjury.
“If we put this into a documentary and a bunch of Bitcoin enthusiasts saw it, it would be really interesting,” Todd says in the film. “If you go this route, a lot of them will be very happy, because this is one of those instances where journalists really miss the point in a very funny way.”
Hoback asks, “What do you mean?”
“The important thing is to make Bitcoin a global currency,” Todd says in the documentary.
