The crypto neighborhood is reacting strongly to claims that an upcoming HBO documentary has uncovered Satoshi Nakamoto, the notorious and elusive creator of Bitcoin.
On Oct. 3, HBO launched a trailer for the documentary that reveals excerpts from interviews and analysis with a few of Bitcoin's early adopters, together with Blockstream founder Adam Again and JAN3 CEO Samson Mow.
Notably, the trailer actually doesn't declare to have discovered the reply to “the web's biggest thriller,” and lots of consider that query will stay unanswered. Nonetheless, a subsequent Politico report claimed that the doc revealed Satoshi's id.
In line with Politico, the doc identifies Satoshi and will probably reveal hyperlinks between Bitcoin's creator and felony exercise. Whereas the documentary has but to air, the Politico report has fueled intense debate and hypothesis within the business.
Hypothesis flared up once more
The principle candidates within the present speculative discussions in regards to the doc are Len Sassaman, Hal Finney, and Adam Again, who have been beforehand theorized by the neighborhood to be Nakamoto.
Again constantly denies these claims and maintains that he’s not the unique creator of Bitcoin. In the meantime, Sassaman and Finney died over a decade in the past, and there’s no substantiated proof that both of them is Satoshi regardless of their early involvement with Bitcoin.
Alex Thorn, head of analysis at Galaxy Digital, weighed in on the hypothesis and instructed that if the doc identifies Sassaman as Satoshi, it may have minimal market disruption as it could ease issues surrounding his vital holdings.
In a social media put up, he mentioned:
“If that is who the doc identifies, (it) needs to be impartial to constructive for BTCUSD provided that Len died in 2011 (RIP).”
Author Evan Hatch, who explored the idea that Sassaman could possibly be Satoshi in 2021, admitted his involvement in a earlier doc that additionally explored the cryptographer's potential connection to the creation of Bitcoin.
Nonetheless, Hatch and different members of the neighborhood are treating the newest claims with warning till the documentary airs and gives extra concrete particulars.
Politico criticized
Politico's report additionally confronted sharp criticism, notably from Mert Mumtaz, CEO of Helius Labs, who criticized the article's framing of bitcoin's historical past and the hyperlink between bitcoin and felony exercise.
Expressing frustration on the tone of the message, Mumtaz wrote:
“Within the first paragraph, they're in some way attempting to border it as a case towards Trump and Elon as a result of they're verifying that bitcoins have been used for felony exercise earlier than.”
Mumtaz condemned the suggestion that Satoshi could also be held accountable for felony acts facilitated by Bitcoin, saying that fiat currencies are additionally utilized in unlawful transactions with out being topic to the identical degree of scrutiny.
He mentioned:
“Then why don't you go (and) arrest each authorities on the planet for issuing money?”
Many within the crypto neighborhood share comparable frustrations with the mainstream media, which she says typically highlights Bitcoin's connection to unlawful actions whereas downplaying its revolutionary impression on monetary methods.
Because the HBO documentary's launch date nears, anticipation continues to mount. The query of Satoshi Nakamoto's true id has been one of many greatest mysteries within the crypto world, and the brand new claims, no matter their veracity, have reignited widespread curiosity.
