finance
New York Times Investigation Identifies Adam Back as Potential Bitcoin Creator Satoshi Nakamoto
The New York Times published an investigation claiming Adam Back, CEO of Blockstream, is the likely creator of Bitcoin under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. Back and his company have denied the identification, calling the report speculative. The probe highlights similarities in writing style and early cryptographic work but lacks definitive proof.
Apr 8, 2:34 PM·1m read7 sources
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The New York Times released an investigation on Wednesday identifying Adam Back, a 55-year-old British cryptographer and CEO of Blockstream, as the strongest candidate for Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin introduced in 2008. The report, authored by journalist John Carreyrou, draws on an 18-month review of online cryptography archives.
Back has denied the claim in statements and social media posts.
Carreyrou points to similarities in phrasing, spelling, and grammar between Back's early online posts and those attributed to Nakamoto. The investigation also notes overlapping timelines of online activity and Back's development of Hashcash, a proof-of-work system that influenced Bitcoin mining. No cryptographic proof confirms the identification.
Blockstream issued a statement rejecting the report as based on circumstantial evidence and speculation.
Back reiterated his denial, stating he is not Nakamoto. The crypto community has expressed that revealing Nakamoto's identity would have minimal impact on Bitcoin's operations, which have been decentralized for over 15 years.
“— Blockstream statement, Wednesday (CNBC)”
Bitcoin's price rose 4.4% to $71,732.79 on Wednesday amid a market rally unrelated to the report, according to CNBC. Community members emphasize that Nakamoto's approximately 1 million untouched bitcoins remain a separate issue from the network's fundamentals.
the Mystery Attempts to identify Nakamoto date back years, with candidates including computer scientists Hal Finney and Nick Szabo. A 2024 HBO documentary named developer Peter Todd as the creator, a claim Todd denied. Back has faced similar speculation previously due to his early involvement in Bitcoin discussions.
