According to Cointelegraph, Polymarket, a decentralized prediction market platform, currently lists American computer scientist Len Sassaman as the leading candidate to be revealed as the legendary “Satoshi Nakamoto” in an upcoming HBO documentary. The film, titled “Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery,” is directed by Cullen Hoback and is set to air on October 8.
While neither Hoback nor HBO have explicitly stated that the documentary will definitively disclose the identity of Bitcoin’s creator, social media posts and the film’s trailer suggest that a significant revelation is expected. This speculation has fueled activity on Polymarket, where a trading pool titled “Who will HBO doc identify as Satoshi?” has amassed a total volume of $389,738 as of October 4.
Among the top candidates in the Polymarket betting pool are well-known figures such as Hal Finney, Adam Back, Craig Wright, and Nick Szabo. However, Len Sassaman, a lesser-known suspect, has emerged as the frontrunner. Sassaman, who passed away in 2011 at the age of 31, was an American computer scientist known for his involvement in the Cypherpunk movement and his contributions to privacy-enhancing technologies.
A Medium post from 2023 discussing the theory that Sassaman could be Satoshi Nakamoto highlights his academic background and advocacy for open-source principles, which align with the ethos of Bitcoin. The rules of the Polymarket indicate that if Sassaman is identified by the HBO documentary as the primary person responsible for Bitcoin’s development, the market will resolve to “Yes.” If another person or group is identified, or if Sassaman is deemed equally responsible, the market will resolve to “No.”
