Bitcoin creator anniversary: Who is behind Satoshi Nakamoto persona?
Who have people believed to be the creator of Bitcoin?
Over the weekend, the cryptocurrency industry celebrated a major milestone — the creator of Bitcoin turned 50. As BTC gained popularity, many people tried to claim his identity, but none succeeded. Satoshi Nakamoto remains an anonymous legend.
No one knows who Satoshi Nakamoto is, but one thing is certain — his date of birth is April 5, 1975. This information comes from archived data on his profile at the P2P Foundation, and most people who worked with the Bitcoin creator tend to believe it. Thus, just recently, Satoshi Nakamoto turned 50.
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For many years, the crypto community has speculated about who might be behind the name. But Satoshi Nakamoto was extremely careful and didn’t leave even a hint of his real identity. As a result, people started putting forward their own theories about who might be Bitcoin’s creator — and some even tried to claim the name as their own.
The cypherpunks
The first suspects were the cypherpunks — activists and programmers who, since the 1990s, have promoted ideas of privacy, personal freedom, and decentralization through cryptography. Members of the movement discussed concepts of anonymous money and decentralized systems long before Bitcoin’s appearance.
Among the most well-known cypherpunks often cited as possible authors of the first cryptocurrency are Adam Back, creator of Hashcash (a prototype of Proof-of-Work); Nick Szabo, developer of the Bit Gold concept; Hal Finney, a cryptographer and the first person to receive a Bitcoin transaction; and Wei Dai, author of b-money — an early idea for decentralized digital cash.
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Each of them played a key role in shaping the basic principles of cryptocurrency, but all have denied involvement in creating Bitcoin. Hal Finney had a different writing style and his own technical logic, and at the time of the network’s launch, he was already suffering from a serious illness. Szabo and Dai were more theoretical thinkers, and their approaches differed in spirit and method. Adam Back became actively engaged only after the Bitcoin white paper was published.
Craig Wright
Since those truly involved in developing Bitcoin refused to identify themselves as Satoshi Nakamoto, some saw it as an opportunity. In 2015, Australian entrepreneur and computer security expert Craig Wright suddenly claimed that he was the person behind the Satoshi Nakamoto pseudonym.
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In 2016, he tried to back up his claim by promising to sign a message with a private key from one of Bitcoin’s early addresses. But those were just words. He never followed through, and from that moment, he was widely labeled as the “fake Satoshi.”
In response to criticism, Craig Wright began threatening his critics with lawsuits. He sued journalists, developers, and others in the crypto community who publicly questioned his claims. This went on until 2024, when a UK court officially ruled that Craig Wright was not the creator of Bitcoin — putting a legal end to a long-running saga.
Stephen Molla
Craig Wright had barely stepped back from claiming to be Bitcoin’s creator when London businessman Stephen Molla declared himself the “real Satoshi Nakamoto.” This happened at the Frontline Club on October 31, 2024.
He said he was an economist and financial scientist who had planned to come forward in 2016 but had been “talked out of it.” Like Craig Wright, this new “Satoshi” promised to provide proof later — and for now asked people to take him at his word.
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However, few took the claim seriously, as Stephen Molla is involved in a criminal fraud case. He had previously tried to pass himself off as Bitcoin’s creator to mislead another businessman.
Peter Todd
One of the most recent and high-profile cases connected to Satoshi Nakamoto was an investigation by HBO. In the documentary The Mystery of Satoshi, journalists unexpectedly suggested that developer Peter Todd might be the mysterious creator of Bitcoin.
The film cited partial evidence — technical knowledge, a similar writing style, and involvement in early project discussions. However, Peter Todd publicly denied the theory and called it “tabloid journalism,” emphasizing that he had nothing to do with Bitcoin’s creation.
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Due to the heightened attention, he even had to step away from the public eye for a time. But he has since returned and actively participates in Bitcoin conferences and meetups.
An eternal mystery
Despite investigative journalism, community speculation, and false claims, Satoshi Nakamoto’s identity remains a mystery. The Bitcoin creator ensured his anonymity in advance, leaving behind a technology that reshaped the global financial system.
Perhaps it was his disappearance that ultimately made Bitcoin successful: no one can control it, because no individual or organization stands behind it — only an idea. In light of all the people who have tried to claim the name Satoshi Nakamoto, it becomes ever more clear that the real creator of Bitcoin never sought recognition. And most likely, the world will never know who he really was.
