Since the release of the Bitcoin white paper in 2008, the identity of Bitcoin's mysterious founder Satoshi Nakamoto has remained a mystery. However, HBO documentary producer Cullen Hoback pointed out that Peter Todd, a well-known Bitcoin core developer, is very likely the real-life counterpart of this anonymous person.
Todd began researching Bitcoin in 2010 and has played an important role in its development. Currently valued at $1.2 trillion, Bitcoin has soared in value over the past 15 years. If Satoshi still controls the approximately 1.1 million Bitcoins associated with his early activities, they could be worth nearly $70 billion.
In his documentary (MoneyElectronics: The Mystery of Bitcoin), Hoback suggests that choosing a pseudonym like Satoshi Nakamoto might be an attempt to give Bitcoin credibility so that people take it seriously. Hoback asked Todd directly and speculated that Todd, who was studying for an arts degree in 2008, might be the person behind the white paper.
Hoback also claims that Todd may have created an anonymous account on the BitcoinTalk forum named John Dillon along with Adam Back, CEO of Bitcoin development company Blockstream. Hoback claims that the account provided cover for Todd's future contributions, including Bitcoin Improvement Proposal (BIP) 125 in 2015 and a 2010 post in response to Satoshi Nakamoto, which Hoback claims may have been posted using Todd's account in error.
Hoback based his argument on a chat log in which Todd described himself as "the world's leading expert on how to sacrifice Bitcoin" and claimed to have carried out such an act. Hoback interpreted this as Todd admitting that he had destroyed about 1.1 million Bitcoins associated with Satoshi Nakamoto. However, Todd denied these claims of being Satoshi Nakamoto and called Hoback's conclusion "ridiculous." "When you put this in a documentary and a group of Bitcoin users watch it, it's very interesting," Todd said during filming.
Leaked clips of the documentary have been circulating on social media platform X, causing a stir before its official release. Todd reiterated his stance in a statement to Coindesk, denying the allegations and accusing Hoback of "holding back."
Todd is a Canadian developer who became a well-known figure in the cryptocurrency community after he began contributing to the Bitcoin code in 2012. During the Bitcoin block size dispute from 2015 to 2017, Todd supported the "small blockers" who advocated keeping the Bitcoin block size at 1 megabyte. The opposing "big blockers" eventually forked the Bitcoin network, giving rise to Bitcoin Cash.
Todd is also the founder of OpenTimestamps, an open source project that aims to create a standardized format for blockchain timestamps. Over the years, he has been involved in various Bitcoin 2.0 projects, including Counterparty, Mastercoin, and Colored Coins. In 2016, he worked with NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden to launch the privacy-focused cryptocurrency Zcash and destroyed the computer used to create the cryptocurrency to ensure its security.
The article is for reference only and does not constitute investment advice.
