Was HBO Satoshi Nakamoto Documentary’s Director Trolled?

On October 8, HBO premiered *Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery*, a documentary exploring the enigmatic origins of Bitcoin. The film claimed that Peter Todd, a prominent figure in the BTC community, might be Satoshi Nakamoto—the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin. However, this controversial claim has sparked a lively debate online with Todd trolling the documentary’s director.

Community Divided on HBO Documentary’s Satoshi Nakamoto Revelation

The suggestion that Todd could be the BTC creator Satoshi Nakamoto drew immediate skepticism from the crypto community. Ki Young Ju, the founder of CryptoQuant, deemed the documentary as “disgusting.” Also, BitMex Research labeled HBO’s Satoshi revelation as “wrong.”

Meanwhile, Isabella Kaminska, Senior Finance Editor at POLITICO Europe, took to X to offer a more measured perspective. She urged viewers to reconsider dismissing the idea outright.

“The vast majority of people laughing at the doc spent most of the week convinced Len Sassaman would be named Satoshi because they didn’t have the basic arithmetic skills,” she remarked.

Kaminska pointed out that Todd’s young age at the time of Bitcoin’s creation, a common point of contention against the theory, should not disqualify him as a suspect. “Vitalik too was a kid when he came up with Ethereum,” she noted.

The journalist also highlighted Todd’s unusual background and knowledge gaps, arguing that his decision to use a pseudonym might have been motivated by his lack of clout within the community at the time.

While Kaminska acknowledged that there is no “definitive smoking gun” linking Todd to Bitcoin’s creation, she found the theory to be “just as plausible” as other suspects. However, not everyone was convinced by this reasoning.

Peter Todd Speaks Up

Bitcoin journalist Joe Nakamoto swiftly shot down the claim, pointing out that Todd himself finds the situation amusing. “He tricked a documentary maker into thinking he’s bitcoin. And he’s quite right, it’s hilarious,” Nakamoto said. He also mocked Kaminska’s idea of a polygraph test.

I probably shouldn’t admit it… But @JoeNakamoto‘s mostly right.

This nonsense is a genuine danger, as crazy people might try to get my non-existent fortune. But it’s also hilarious.

Thing is, I didn’t trick @CullenHoback. I think he just needed a stunt to hype up his film. https://t.co/vs60kcEqaG

— Peter Todd (@peterktodd) October 9, 2024

His skepticism was soon validated when Peter Todd himself chimed in on X, admitting that while the speculation could be dangerous, it was also humorous. “This nonsense is a genuine danger, as crazy people might try to get my non-existent fortune. But it’s also hilarious,” Todd wrote.

Ultimately, the debate surrounding Todd’s involvement in BTC’s development may remain unresolved. However, the documentary was certainly successful in reigniting speculation about the identity of Satoshi Nakamoto.

Also Read: HBO Documentary Sparks Online Mockery Over Satoshi Identity