Bitcoin developer Peter Todd has been accused of being Satoshi Nakamoto in a new HBO documentary. Filmmaker Cullen Hoback presents the claim as conclusive evidence of Todd’s identity, though Todd has repeatedly denied these allegations on social media and in interviews.

HBO Documentary Links Peter Todd to Bitcoin’s Creation

Canadian Bitcoin core developer Peter Todd was named as the cryptocurrency's inventor in an HBO documentary that sought to expose Satoshi Nakamoto, the cryptocurrency's pseudonymous creator.

Blockstream creator Adam Back and Todd were approached by Cullen Hobak, producer of the HBO documentary Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery, who presented the evidence that Hobak had pieced together to prove that Todd was Nakamoto.

Todd's Alleged Admission Draws Controversy

In response to Hoback's aggressive query, Todd says, "Well yeah, I'm Satoshi Nakamoto," as detailed by Cointelegraph, in the climax of the documentary.

This "admission" does not, however, establish Todd as the creator of Bitcoin. He gained fame after he used the statement "I am Satoshi" to defend the anonymity of the genuine originator.

Todd's Denial Fuels Online Speculation

Short excerpts from the documentary surfaced online before its premiere, prompting Todd to openly deny being Bitcoin's founder and cast doubt on Hoback's conclusion.

In response to the documentary's premiere, Todd once again denied being Satoshi on social media. "I am not Satoshi," Todd replied in response to a comment on X on October 8th, which asked him to publicly contradict HBO's assertion.

Previous Remarks Add Fuel to the Fire

In the past, Todd has made light of the fact that he is Satoshi. Todd said to Peter McCormack of the 2019 episode of What Bitcoin Did: "I am Satoshi, as is everyone else."

Told informed McCormack on the show that he bought his first Bitcoin when it was worth about 20 cents. As a result, the acquisition occurred in October 2010, around two years following the publication of Bitcoin's whitepaper on October 31, 2008.

Evidence Points to Todd's Bitcoin Sacrifice

According to Holback, Todd is Nakamoto because he made a claim in a chat log about being "the world’s leading expert on how to sacrifice your Bitcoins" and boasting that he had personally performed a Bitcoin sacrifice.

That Todd had disabled his capacity to access the 1.1 million Bitcoin—worth $69.4 billion—thought to be controlled by Nakamoto was characterized by Hoback as an admission in this message.