As a longtime Bitcoiner, I had to roll my eyes when I saw HBO release a trailer for an upcoming documentary, teasing to reveal Satoshi’s identity. Speculation arose that it would reveal who is Satoshi Nakamoto. After seeing many half-baked attempts to “unmask” Satoshi over the years, I’m certain this latest one won’t provide definitive proof either.
If you’ve been in Bitcoin long enough, you know the drill — someone claims they know or are Satoshi, theories start swirling, but no convincing evidence ever materializes. Inevitably it ends with embarrassment for the accuser. We’ve been through this rodeo too many times now.
With Bitcoin becoming a $1.2 trillion asset class, the allure of outing Satoshi is understandable. His stash alone is supposedly 1.1 million BTC, worth over $65 billion currently.
The usual suspects like Adam Back, Hal Finney or Nick Szabo will likely be resurrected as prime candidates. And the accused will again firmly deny the allegations. Our favorite Bitcoin historian, Pete Rizzo, already made $200 bets with Shinobi, Nikolaus, Frank, and I that Back ends up named and denies it.
Yet ideally, Satoshi should remain anonymous as he clearly desired. Bitcoin succeeds on the merits of its decentralized design, not based on any single personality. Unmasking Satoshi risks undermining Bitcoin’s mystique and independence.
As Bitcoin grows into a global asset, the stakes around identifying its creator rise exponentially. The richest person on earth makes for an attractive bounty. But true proof remains elusive.
These periodic media frenzies claiming to crack the case produce great hype yet always disappoint. They act as amateur sleuths following flawed hunches rather than impartial investigations seeking truth.
So I advise fellow Bitcoiners to take next week’s “big reveal” with a huge grain of salt. It will likely be more sensationalism than substance, repeating familiar theories that fall short of definitive evidence.
The only person who can conclusively prove they are Satoshi is Satoshi himself. Until then, the mystery continues – as it should.
Opinions expressed are entirely the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of BTC Inc or Bitcoin Magazine
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