In a recent HBO documentary, cryptographer Peter Todd has refuted claims that he is the mysterious creator of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto. Todd accused the filmmaker, Cullen Hoback, of prioritizing profit over the truth about Nakamoto’s identity.
Hoback’s documentary, Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery, proposes that Todd, a Canadian developer and significant figure in the Bitcoin community, is indeed Satoshi. The film features interviews with various cryptocurrency pioneers and reviews outdated online posts to bolster its claims. At one point, Hoback confronts Todd with his findings, leading to an ambiguous statement from Todd suggesting he is Nakamoto. However, this is later clarified as a nod to the creator’s wish for anonymity, echoing a common phrase in the crypto community: “I am Satoshi Nakamoto.”
Todd dismissed Hoback’s theories as “ludicrous,” pointing out that they’re the sort of speculation a documentary filmmaker might concoct. Despite being a core Bitcoin developer who interacted with Nakamoto in the early days, Todd has rarely been linked to the creator in serious discussions regarding Nakamoto’s identity.
Pre-release predictions for the documentary speculated on several candidates, including Adam Back, a British cryptographer mentioned in the Bitcoin whitepaper. Post-broadcast, Hoback took to X (formerly Twitter), suggesting a hierarchy among suspected creators: “The Father: Adam Back, The Son: Peter Todd, The Holy Ghost: Greg Maxwell.”
Responding to skepticism about Todd’s age at the time of Bitcoin’s conception, Hoback defended his claims, noting that many breakthroughs in cryptography come early in a professional’s career. In the documentary, he points to a 2010 forum post where Todd appears to respond directly to Nakamoto, asserting this as evidence of Todd’s connection to the creation of Bitcoin. Todd himself rebutted this interpretation on social media, calling the notion “clearly ridiculous.”
He firmly stated on X, “I’m not Satoshi,” and criticized Hoback for not engaging with him or Back to refine his theories. According to Todd, the filmmaker’s intent leaned more towards crafting a sensational documentary than uncovering genuine facts.
Adam Back, also interviewed in the documentary, emphatically denied being Nakamoto and shared his experiences from 2013 to fortify his assertion that he has no connection to the elusive figure, reiterating that “no one knows who Satoshi is, and that’s a good thing.”
Gregory Maxwell, another early Bitcoin advocate, joined the conversation, dismissing Hoback’s reasoning for linking Todd to Nakamoto as flawed. He emphasized the lack of clear evidence and pointed out that Todd’s earlier online identity bore no obvious connection to him.