Satoshi Nakamoto controls 1.1 million in bitcoin|BeatingBetting|CC BY 2.0
A New York Times investigation has reignited the decade-long search for Bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator, Satoshi Nakamoto. The NYT article identifies him as British computer scientist Dr. Adam Back.
Why Adam Back?
Back had invented the 1997 email spam filter Hashcash, whose algorithm became the bedrock of the $2.4 trillion crypto market. There are email exchanges between him and Nakamoto where they discuss the Bitcoin whitepaper.
The NYT article identifies similarities in Nakamoto’s and Back’s writing styles and suggests that they are the same person.
However, Back has denied the claims on social media, maintaining he was merely an early pioneer.
Nakamoto controls 1.1 million Bitcoin, a stash worth billions that could destabilize markets if moved. Hence, there is always interest in unveiling his true identity.
Some want to be Nakamoto, like the Australian computer scientist Craig Wright.
He has claimed to be the mysterious inventor of the cryptocurrency and the author of the Bitcoin whitepaper. However, in 2024, a UK judge ruled Wright is not Nakamoto.
Bitcoin dropped 2.4% after the NYT report, from $68,269 to $66,634.