The HBO show “Money Electric: The Bitcoin History” says Peter Todd, a Bitcoin expert, could be Satoshi Nakamoto. However, Todd denies this claim. The evidence in the documentary isn’t strong enough to prove that he is Satoshi.
Who is Peter Todd?
Peter Todd is from Canada and has helped make blockchain and cryptocurrency better. He worked on projects like OpenTimestamps, Counterparty, Mastercoin, and Zcash. He has also helped make Bitcoin better for a long time. This places him in the group of early supporters. He is among those who supported Bitcoin in its early days.
To make it even more interesting, Todd was one of the few people who talked directly to Nakamoto on Bitcoin forums. This happened when Bitcoin was first starting. This connection makes him an interesting figure in the Bitcoin story. These technical exchanges occurred before Nakamoto vanished from public view in 2011. While these conversations form part of Hoback’s evidence, Todd has vehemently denied being Satoshi Nakamoto on multiple occasions.
The Evidence Presented in the Documentary
The documentary rests on several key arguments to support the theory that Peter Todd could be Nakamoto. Let’s dissect these claims:
Technical Expertise: Todd’s deep understanding of cryptography and his extensive involvement in blockchain development make him a natural suspect in terms of technical capability.
Chat Logs and Bitcoin Forum Threads: One piece of evidence presented is a 2010 Bitcoin forum post where Todd appears to correct one of Satoshi’s technical suggestions. Hoback contends that this wasn’t a genuine correction but an accidental post from Todd’s account while logged in as Satoshi.
A Cryptic Chat Comment: Another point of focus is a comment where Todd calls himself the “world’s leading expert on how to sacrifice your bitcoins.” The director suggests this could be an admission of destroying access to the 1.1 million bitcoins mined by Satoshi, a vast fortune that remains untouched.
Circumstantial Evidence: Todd’s early involvement with Bitcoin, his use of both British and Canadian spelling (similar to Satoshi), and his connections with key figures like Hal Finney and Adam Back all contribute to the theory. Hoback proposes that Todd might have chosen anonymity to preserve Bitcoin’s credibility.
Peter Todd’s Response
Despite the claims made in the documentary, Peter Todd has consistently refuted being Satoshi Nakamoto. Prior to the documentary’s release, he explicitly stated in communications with CoinDesk and TIME that “I’m not Satoshi,” adding that he learned about Bitcoin by reading the whitepaper, not by creating it.
Todd further emphasized his age at the time of the whitepaper’s publication (23 years old), suggesting he was too young to have developed something as groundbreaking as Bitcoin. He criticized Hoback’s theory in an email to CoinDesk, calling it “grasping at straws.” With a touch of humor, he concluded by stating, “Of course, I’m not Satoshi. It’s ironic that a director known for QAnon documentaries is using coincidence-based conspiracy thinking here.”
Hoback’s Peter Todd Claim: Lack of Evidence
While Hoback presents some intriguing points, the evidence presented lacks concrete proof. The documentary fails to definitively link Todd to Satoshi, and much of the argument hinges on speculation rather than solid facts.
For instance, the forum thread where Todd supposedly corrected Satoshi doesn’t offer clear evidence. There’s no definitive proof that the post originated from Satoshi and was accidentally sent from Todd’s account. It’s entirely plausible that it was simply a technical discussion between two knowledgeable individuals.
Similarly, Web3 researcher PixOnChain dismisses the claim that Todd’s comment about sacrificing bitcoins is an admission of being Satoshi. Todd said something funny about this. He said “I am Satoshi, as is everyone else.” This is a funny way to say that nobody knows, No one knows who Satoshi Nakamoto really is.
Is Peter Todd the Real Bitcoin Creator?
Although Peter Todd knows a lot about technology and could have made Bitcoin, there is no proof that he did. The documentary has interesting ideas, but it is mostly guessing instead of having real proof. Todd says he didn’t make Bitcoin, and there is no strong evidence to say he did.
Conclusion
In the end, while the HBO documentary offers interesting theories about Peter Todd being Satoshi Nakamoto, the evidence isn’t enough to prove this claim. Todd’s strong denial and the lack of solid proof suggest this is just another theory in the mystery of who created Bitcoin. The search for Satoshi Nakamoto goes on, and we will have to wait and see if any future evidence can help uncover this mysterious figure.
Also Read: Unraveling the Satoshi Nakamoto Mystery: What’s Peter Todd Net Worth?
