A new HBO documentary about "who is Satoshi Nakamoto?"

TLDR: HBO’s new documentary, Money Electric: the Bitcoin Mystery, stirs the crypto community by hinting that former Bitcoin developer Peter Todd might be Satoshi Nakamoto. The film presents circumstantial evidence, including Todd’s early interest in cryptography, a mixed-up forum post, and British/Canadian spellings, but lacks concrete proof. Todd denies the claim, dismissing the theory as speculative nonsense. Despite Hoback’s efforts to piece together clues, the documentary fails to solve Bitcoin’s greatest mystery, leaving enthusiasts with more questions and further debates on Satoshi’s true identity.


HBO’s Money Electric: the Bitcoin Mystery has set the crypto world abuzz by hinting that Peter Todd, an early Bitcoin developer, might be the elusive Satoshi Nakamoto. He was directed by Cullen Hoback—known for revealing QAnon’s origins—the documentary attempts to stitch together a series of coincidences and circumstantial evidence to suggest that Todd, who has never been seriously considered Satoshi, could be the mastermind behind Bitcoin.
 
Hoback’s theory rests on Todd’s early involvement in cryptography, his friendship with notable Bitcoin developer Adam Back (who communicated with Satoshi), and the use of British/Canadian spellings—curiously matching Todd’s Canadian background. The film’s most compelling “evidence” is a 2010 public forum post where Todd, allegedly by mistake, replied to one of Satoshi’s posts using his name. Hoback speculates this was a slip-up, revealing Todd’s dual identity. But Todd laughs it off, saying that such connections are a stretch, more akin to conspiracy theorizing than serious analysis.
 
Hoback confronts Todd aggressively, but Todd responds sarcastically: “Of course, I’m Satoshi. And I’m Craig Wright.” The self-deprecating humor nods to the absurdity of the claim, evoking laughter from viewers familiar with Bitcoin’s murky history. Todd has previously joked on podcasts that “everyone is Satoshi,” further underlining his dismissive stance toward these theories.
 
The film adds Todd’s case to a list of speculative candidates, including cypherpunk Len Sassaman, programmer Nick Szabo, and even the debunked Dorian Nakamoto, once pegged as Bitcoin’s mysterious creator. But every previous “unmasking” has failed to hold up under scrutiny. Even though Money Electric lacks definitive evidence, the buzz it has generated highlights the persistent fascination with Satoshi’s true identity. For Bitcoin enthusiasts, the documentary is less about answering the mystery and more about keeping the legend alive.
 
After all, the anonymity of Satoshi Nakamoto is part of what makes Bitcoin so enigmatic and captivating. Despite the film’s ambitious narrative, the search for Satoshi continues. Until more substantial evidence surfaces, it’s unlikely that this mystery will be solved. But for now, Todd and the rest of the crypto community can only chuckle at yet another chapter in Bitcoin’s ongoing saga.
 
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