Len Sassaman, a deceased American cryptographer, is the leading candidate in betting markets for being revealed as Bitcoin's creator in an upcoming HBO documentary.
The documentary, "Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery," is directed by Cullen Hoback, known for his work on QAnon conspiracy theories.
Sassaman was a prodigy in cryptography, active in the cypherpunk community, and studied under David Chaum. He worked on privacy software and founded a startup before his death by suicide in 2011 at age 31.
Speculation about Sassaman being Satoshi Nakamoto is fueled by:
1. The timing of Nakamoto's disappearance and Sassaman's death
Nakamoto's last email to the Bitcoin community was sent on April 23, 2011.
Sassaman died about two months later, on July 3, 2011.
This timing has led some to speculate that Sassaman's declining health may have prompted Nakamoto's disappearance.
2. Sassaman's work on solving issues crucial to cryptocurrency development
Sassaman's main project, Pynchon Gate, focused on pseudonymous information retrieval via nodes.
He was working on solving the Byzantine Fault problem, crucial for peer-to-peer networks.
This problem was effectively solved by Nakamoto's blockchain design for Bitcoin.
3. His location in Belgium during Bitcoin's creation, aligning with British English usage in Nakamoto's writings
Sassaman was based in Belgium during Bitcoin's development. Nakamoto's writings contained British English terms and references.
The Bitcoin genesis block referenced a headline from The Times, a UK newspaper circulated in Europe.
4. Cryptographic Background
Sassaman was deeply involved in the cypherpunk community.
He worked on privacy-focused projects like PGP and GNU Privacy Guard.
This background aligns with the ethos and technical requirements of Bitcoin's creation.
5. Posthumous Tribute
A tribute to Sassaman was encoded into the Bitcoin blockchain after his death.
This has been interpreted by some as a potential nod to his involvement in Bitcoin's creation.
Despite these speculations, it's important to note that there's no conclusive evidence, and Sassaman's widow has denied his involvement in creating Bitcoin
