Bitcoin is a decentralized cryptocurrency and payment system that does not require a central bank or a single administrator to operate. It operates through a network of peer-to-peer nodes, which verify transactions through cryptography and record them on a public ledger known as a blockchain.
The term “Bitcoin” refers to both the protocol and the peer-to-peer network that underpins it, while “bitcóin,” with a lowercase accent, refers to the currency itself. Consensus between nodes is achieved through a computationally intensive process based on a proof-of-work system, called “mining,” which ensures the security of the blockchain.
This cryptocurrency, based on a free market ideology, was conceived in 2008 by a person or group under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, whose true identity remains a mystery.
HBO’s new documentary, titled “Electric Money: The Bitcoin Enigma,” premiering Tuesday, promises to shed light on one of the world’s richest and most enigmatic figures: the creator of Bitcoin.
Nakamoto is estimated to own approximately 1 million bitcoins, spread across several wallets. At current value, this sum would be close to $63 billion.
The documentary's director, Cullen Hoback, announced in a post on X (formerly Twitter), alongside the documentary's trailer, that he has located the elusive creator of Bitcoin:
“Some of you may have wondered why I disappeared. Well, I was following the trail of someone else who also disappeared,” Hoback wrote.
Hoback is best known for directing the documentary series “Q: Into the Storm,” where he revealed the identity of Q, the creator of the QAnon conspiracy theory, a far-right movement that emerged on 8chan in 2017.
This is not the first time someone has claimed to know the identity of Satoshi Nakamoto. One prominent example is Craig Wright, an Australian scientist who has claimed to be the creator of Bitcoin. Earlier this year, Wright was charged with perjury by British authorities.
The mystery surrounding Nakamoto is still alive and generating speculation. In fact, a day before the premiere of Electric Money, users of the cryptocurrency betting site Polymarket overwhelmingly bet that the creator of Bitcoin will be revealed as the American cypherpunk and cryptographer Leonard Harris “Len” Sassaman. Sassaman passed away in 2011, shortly after Nakamoto stopped posting on Bitcointalk, one of the first cryptocurrency discussion forums.
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