Peter Todd Refutes HBO Documentary's Claim: 'I Am Not Satoshi'
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Peter Todd Denies Claims in HBO Documentary
A recent HBO documentary, Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery, has sparked controversy by claiming Peter Todd, a Canadian Bitcoin developer, as the elusive Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin. Directed by Cullen Hoback, the film offers a string of circumstantial evidence linking Todd to Nakamoto, stirring mixed reactions from the cryptocurrency community.
The documentary suggests Todd, a key figure in the early Bitcoin community, may have used the pseudonym Nakamoto to lend the project more credibility, especially considering his background as a student rather than an established cryptographer at the time.
Hoback’s film presents a range of purported evidence, including Todd’s own online posts, one of which referred to him as “the world’s leading expert on how to sacrifice your Bitcoins.” Other points include Todd’s use of the alias "John Dillon" to push the controversial replace-by-fee mechanism and the alignment of Todd’s student schedule with Nakamoto’s weekend-heavy activity. The documentary even goes so far as to claim Todd posted from Nakamoto’s account on the BitcoinTalk forum in 2010, an assertion that has further fueled the debate.
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Despite the allegations, the crypto community has quickly rallied to Todd’s defense. Peter Todd himself has categorically denied the claim, calling it "ridiculous" and taking to social media platform X to express his frustration.
Gregory Maxwell, a former Bitcoin Core developer, also weighed in, noting that Todd's account at the time was under the alias “retep,” unlinked to his real identity, which undermines the documentary’s assertions. Maxwell emphasized that Todd could have easily abandoned the account had any connection been made, further discrediting the documentary’s narrative.
Other prominent voices in the crypto space have voiced their dissatisfaction with the documentary’s speculative nature. Pledditor, a respected figure within the Bitcoin community, criticized the reliance on coincidental evidence, highlighting the dangers of putting innocent people at risk.
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Ki Young Ju, founder of CryptoQuant, took it a step further, calling the documentary “disgusting” for presenting claims without solid proof. BitMEX Research and Muneeb Ali, CEO of Trust Machines, have also dismissed the theory, labeling it as lacking any concrete foundation. Todd, meanwhile, has expressed relief that the crypto community sees through what he calls a flawed attempt at unmasking Satoshi Nakamoto.
This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.
