The crypto neighborhood is reacting strongly to claims that an upcoming HBO documentary has unmasked Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin’s notorious and elusive creator.
HBO launched a trailer for the documentary on Oct. 3, which reveals snippets of interviews and analysis with a few of the earliest adopters of Bitcoin, together with Blockstream founder Adam Again and JAN3 CEO Samson Mow.
Notably, the trailer doesn’t undoubtedly declare to have discovered the reply to the “web’s biggest thriller,” and lots of consider the query will stay unanswered. Nevertheless, a subsequent Politico report claimed that the documentary had unmasked Satoshi’s id.
In line with Politico, the documentary identifies Satoshi and will probably reveal hyperlinks between Bitcoin’s creator and legal exercise. Whereas the documentary has but to air, the Politico report has fueled intense debate and hypothesis throughout the trade.
Hypothesis reignited
The primary candidates within the present speculative discussions in regards to the documentary are Len Sassaman, Hal Finney, and Adam Again, all of whom the neighborhood has beforehand theorized to be Satoshi Nakamoto.
Again has persistently denied these claims and maintains that he’s not the unique creator of Bitcoin. In the meantime, Sassaman and Finney handed away greater than a decade in the past, and there’s no substantiated proof that both of them was Satoshi regardless of their early involvement with Bitcoin.
Alex Thorn, head of analysis at Galaxy Digital, weighed in on the hypothesis, suggesting that if the documentary identifies Sassaman as Satoshi, it might have minimal market disruption by assuaging the issues round his vital holdings.
He stated in a social media put up:
“If that’s who the doc identifies, [it] ought to be impartial to optimistic for BTCUSD provided that Len died in 2011 (RIP).”
Author Evan Hatch, who explored the idea that Sassaman may very well be Satoshi in 2021, acknowledged his involvement in a earlier documentary that additionally examined the cryptographer’s potential hyperlink to Bitcoin’s creation.
Nevertheless, Hatch and others locally are treating the most recent claims with warning till the documentary airs and gives extra concrete particulars.
Politico criticized
The Politico report has additionally confronted backlash from the neighborhood, significantly from Helius Labs CEO Mert Mumtaz, who criticized the article’s framing of Bitcoin’s historical past and the affiliation it attracts between Bitcoin and legal exercise.
Mumtaz expressed frustration with the report’s tone, writing:
“Within the first paragraph, they someway attempt to body it as an anti-Trump and Elon factor as a result of checks notes Bitcoin has been used for crime earlier than.”
Mumtaz condemned the suggestion that Satoshi might bear accountability for legal acts facilitated by Bitcoin, arguing that fiat currencies are additionally utilized in unlawful transactions with out drawing the identical stage of scrutiny.
He stated:
“Why don’t you go [and] arrest all governments on earth for issuing money then?”
Many within the crypto neighborhood share comparable frustrations with conventional media, which it believes usually emphasizes Bitcoin’s connection to unlawful actions whereas downplaying its revolutionary influence on monetary methods.
As the discharge date for the HBO documentary approaches, anticipation continues to construct. The query of Satoshi Nakamoto’s true id has been one of many biggest mysteries within the crypto world, and the brand new claims, no matter their veracity, have reignited widespread curiosity.
