- A new theory from a YouTuber suggests Satoshi Nakamoto, the founder of Bitcoin may comprise of three people who merged their first and last names. This is contrary to previous theories that suggest Satoshi is just one person.
- Certain individuals suspected to be Satoshi may not have comprised of the ‘persons’ that founded Bitcoin.
Of course, you’ve heard of Bitcoin. You’ve also heard that its creator is the mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto. This theory emerged on October 31st, 2008, after the Bitcoin white paper was released via a cypherpunk mailing list under the name Satoshi Nakamoto, leaving the world to speculate whether it was an individual or a group. New evidence has brought us closer to identifying who Satoshi is. Many believe Satoshi Nakamoto is just one person; well, we are about to find out.
Satoshi Nakamoto Comprises of 3 persons – New Evidence Reveals
Recent evidence presented by a Youtuber – Fooch, suggests that Hal Finney, the first person to receive Bitcoin, and Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin, may have attended the same conference, Crypto ’98, in Santa Barbara, California in 1998.
By checking the event’s program info, Fooch discovers a Satoshi in attendance. Searching for the term “Naka” leads him to a page detailing a presentation by Satoshi Hada and Toshiaki Tanaka on The Existence of 3-round Zero-knowledge Protocols at Crypto ’98.
That’s not all. Fooch then searched on Google for Satoshi Hada Nakamoto, and boom, this post on X popped up, showing that the creators of Bitcoin allegedly comprise three researchers who may have also worked with IBM. The archived link leads to an IBM research paper.
“Satoshi is allegedly 3 researchers from IBM”. Fooch said.
Also, Fooch’s check on Toshiaki Tanaka and Naohiko Uramoto shows that they, at one time, worked at IBM.
Right under the post is a comment tagging what seems to be Satoshi Hada’s account. Here’s what it looks like 👇🏽
Maybe a coincidence 🧐
Under Satoshi Hada’s most recent post on X, which was in 2017 by the way, someone commented by typing ‘Satoshi Nakamoto’ backward. What does this person know?
Also, Satoshi Hada’s previous repost on X in 2012 was about the IBM CEO predicting the future of business.
Fooch’s intelligent investigation was able to connect the dots based on an interview with Fran, Hal Finney’s wife. She recalled her husband communicating with someone named Satoshi, whom he believed to be based in Japan. Evidence from a YouTube video by The Bitcoin Layer corroborates that Satoshi’s working hours align with the PST time zone which is used in Japan.
If “They” Are Satoshi, Why Are They Hiding?
Fooch is of the opinion that the Japanese are humble people unlike Americans or Australians who may want to prove anything. Well, what do you think about Fooch’s theory? It appears to be the closest sketch to drawing Satoshi Nakamoto though. Another interesting thing that can be noticed is Satoshi’s use of “we” in the bitcoin whitepaper – “We propose a…”
Other Alleged Satoshis
In an adventure to discover the genius behind Bitcoin, various theories have emerged. Some individuals have purposely claimed to be Satoshi despite evidence proving otherwise. Others have been linked to Satoshi because of their early association with Bitcoin, and one unlucky fellow was accused due to a name coincidence. Let’s find out who they are and why they may not be ‘Satoshi’.
- Craig Wright
An Australian scientist who has been ruled as a fraudster by a judge in the United Kingdom has long claimed to be the founder of Bitcoin. However, his claims lack tangible evidence beyond document forgery, and he has offered many excuses for his inability to prove it, including ‘stomping on the hard drive’ that contains files to prove that he created Bitcoin.
- Dorian Nakamoto
When you google Satoshi Nakamoto, the image you often see is that of Dorian Nakamoto, who has denied being the founder of Bitcoin despite the name coincidence. Dorian is a retired physicist. In a 2014 exposé with Newsweek, where he was accused of being the founder of Bitcoin, he claimed he was wrongly quoted when asked about Bitcoin, thinking the question related to his career, and said:
“I am no longer involved in that and I cannot discuss it.”
When the exposé went viral, Dorian stated that he felt victimized and decided to tell his own side of the story.
“I’m saying I’m no longer in engineering. That’s it. And even if I was, when we get hired, you have to sign this document, contract saying you will not reveal anything we divulge during and after employment. So that’s what I implied.
It sounded like I was involved before with bitcoin and looked like I’m not involved now. That’s not what I meant. I want to clarify that.”
Dorian’s side of the story attracted sympathy from the Bitcoin community, resulting in donations of over 102 bitcoins which is worth almost a hundred million dollars today.
- Gavin Andersen
It’s understandable why some might have suspected Gavin Andresen of being Satoshi Nakamoto. He joined Bitcoin as a core developer in its early stages, creating important features that remain crucial to the Bitcoin ecosystem today.
In the documentary “The Bitcoin Story,” Gavin repeatedly referred to Satoshi as a “he” and emphasized Satoshi’s genius:
“He’s obviously had some academic training because he wrote this academic whitepaper that is in the style of a peer reviewed academic journal article. He’s obviously a genius. I’d love to meet him someday.”
“As far as I know, no one has actually met Satoshi. No one knows who he, or she, or they are. I’ve never talked with Satoshi although I have communicated with him electronically via email or on online forums.
Satoshi started working on Bitcoin he says in 2007, and it actually took him a couple of years to convince himself that he could actually create a system that would work.”
Gavin believes he was the last person to speak with Satoshi:
“I don’t know who might have had the last interaction with Satoshi, it might have possibly been me. My very last email to Satoshi, I actually told him I had been invited to give a talk at the CIA. He had already told me he was going to step back. I don’t know if me telling him I was going to visit the CIA was the reason I never heard from him again but I certainly think it didn’t help.”
- Hal Finney
If you’re a Bitcoin enthusiast, you’ve likely heard of Hal Finney. He was the first person to receive Bitcoin in a transaction, receiving 10 bitcoins from Satoshi Nakamoto on January 12, 2009. This marked him as an early supporter and contributor to the project.
As a cryptographer, Finney recognized the potential of Bitcoin, predicted that it would hit $1 million, and actively contributed to its development. He was a passionate advocate for privacy and saw Bitcoin as a solution to financial transaction privacy concerns.
Sadly, Hal passed away on August 28, 2014, after battling with complications from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) for five years.
Recent research by Jameson Lopp, a Bitcoin researcher, has provided evidence that Hal Finney was not Satoshi Nakamoto. This research analyzed the timing of a specific Bitcoin transaction and Hal Finney’s participation in a race, concluding that they occurred simultaneously, making it impossible for him to have been Satoshi at that time.
- Adam Back
British cryptographer and CEO of Blockstream has also been suspected to be Satoshi because of his early involvement with Bitcoin.
In 1997, Adam developed Hashcash, a proof-of-work system that is now used in Bitcoin mining. This invention is referenced in Satoshi Nakamoto’s Bitcoin white paper.
Through public emails revealed between Satoshi and Adam, it appears both individuals have distinct communication styles and technical expertise.
- Len Sasseman
Len Sassaman, a renowned cryptographer and academic researcher, made significant contributions to the field of cryptography and privacy. While his work indirectly influenced the development of Bitcoin, there is no concrete evidence to support the claim that he was Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin.
After Sassaman’s untimely death in 2011, the Bitcoin community honored him in a unique and lasting way. A tribute was embedded in block 138725 of the Bitcoin blockchain, forever commemorating his legacy. A message in the block reads:
“Len was our friend.A brilliant mind, a kind soul, and a devious schemer.”
