Crypto community rejects HBO claim linking Peter Todd to Satoshi
The cryptocurrency community has pushed back against HBO's new documentary Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery, which claims that Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) developer Peter Todd is Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin.
The documentary, aired on October 8, suggests that Todd, who was still completing an arts degree when the Bitcoin whitepaper was published in 2008, could be the person behind Satoshi's identity.
Filmmaker Cullen Hoback based his argument on old chat logs and a 2010 BitcoinTalk post, implying that Todd accidentally posted from his personal account instead of Satoshi’s.
Hoback suggests that Todd may have adopted the Satoshi pseudonym to lend credibility to Bitcoin.
However, Todd has firmly denied these claims, calling them "ludicrous" both in the documentary and in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Todd further dismissed the claims as being rooted in "coincidence-based conspiracy thinking."
The documentary has faced criticism from various members of the crypto community.
Cobra, the administrator of BitcoinTalk, criticised the documentary on X, stating, “The journalist is putting people in real physical danger,” expressing concern over the impact on Todd.
BitMEX Research also rejected the documentary's conclusion, calling it “ridiculous” and pointing out that the 2010 post was nothing more than a snarky response to Satoshi.
Adam Cochran from Cinneamhain Ventures similarly criticised the film, saying it irresponsibly named Todd without strong evidence.
He warned that such speculation could result in threats against Todd.
Jameson Lopp, co-founder of Casa, commented that Satoshi would likely be amused by this latest round of speculation.
Ahead of the documentary’s release, Polymarket, a prediction platform, saw $44.3 million in bets on who would be identified as Satoshi, with other figures like Len Sassaman and Nick Szabo being the favored candidates before the documentary aired.
At the time of writing, the Bitcoin price was $62,343.41.
Disclaimer: The content of this article solely reflects the author's opinion and does not represent the platform in any capacity. This article is not intended to serve as a reference for making investment decisions.
You may also like
Hyperliquid launches native token HYPE
Ethena and Securitize propose USDtb for Spark’s $1b Tokenization Grand Prix
Standard Chartered Analysts Predict Stablecoins Will Represent 10 Percent of US Economy in the Future!
Analysts at Standard Chartered and Zodia Markets predict that stablecoin adoption will see significant growth, potentially representing 10% of US M2 transactions in the future.
Is $100,000 the Limit in the Bitcoin Rally or Will It Continue? Here’s a Clear Opinion for the Top
While the Bitcoin price has reached the $100,000 limit, the questioning of what goes beyond this level has begun. Here are the details.