'I'm Not Satoshi': Peter Todd Denies HBO Documentary Claim He's Bitcoin Creator, Crypto Goes Wild

Satoshi Nakamoto is Peter Todd – that's according to an HBO documentary by renowned investigative filmmaker Cullen Hoback, who exposed the authors of the QAnon conspiracy theory.

Todd, a Bitcoin developer notorious in the BTC community for his temper, immediately shut down the claim. "I'm not Satoshi," he wrote on X, in response to an investor who challenged the 39-year-old to publicly deny it "instead of making half sarcastic comments" regarding the documentary film.

Despite Todd's denial, Hoback has remained confident that his three-year search for Nakamoto, which was packed into "Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery," points to Todd.

What Did Hoback's Research Reveal?

The HBO docu-film suggested that the reason why Todd uses a pseudonym is so people will take his creation seriously, also pointing to a cryptic message from Todd's past chat log where the latter said he was the "world's leading expert on how to sacrifice your bitcoins...".

The documentary also pointed to a 2010 Bitcoin board post from Todd that Hoback said was written by the BTC creator.

"Peter was there that day (in which he was interviewed for the film). He knows what was discussed. He had every opportunity to explain himself," Hoback told CNN.

Denial is What the Real Satoshi Would Actually Resort To?

As soon as people saw the documentary, many were convinced that Todd was indeed Nakamoto – most said the real Satoshi would have also denied the claim if he/it was identified.

The running discussion within the crypto community is that Nakamoto may have chosen to be the enigmatic creator of the world's largest digital currency due to potential government attention, as was the case with Telegram CEO Pavel Durov.

Did the HBO Documentary Put Todd in a Tough Spot?

While many crypto users are convinced Todd is just denying the fact that he is Satoshi, others raised issue about the docu-film's revelations and how they may have opened a dangerous window in Todd's life.

Prominent analyst Adam Cochran pointed out that with the documentary's release, Todd will have people "trying to extort him like they did with Hal." He also called out the film for alleged "sh** journalism."

Cochran was referring to software developer and privacy pioneer Hal Finney, the first person to receive Bitcoin from Satoshi. Notably, the U.S. SEC approved spot BTC exchange-traded funds (ETFs) exactly 15 years since Finney tweeted "running Bitcoin." Many Bitcoiners place Finney as a leading contender for the real BTC creator title.

One user said that if any individual admits to creating Bitcoin, that person "will be jailed for life," seemingly referring to how the government initially reacted very negatively to the digital asset and how it has taken more than a decade before traditional institutions started adopting the asset. Until now, there are still governments that refuse to acknowledge Bitcoin and crypto as the "future of money."

So Who is Satoshi If It's Not Todd?

With Todd's denial, the mystery has only gone deeper. On the other hand, there are still some individuals who are being touted as the real Satoshi, including Finney and Len Sassaman, who once topped Polymarket's event contract on who Hoback will unmask as Nakamoto.

It remains to be seen whether Todd will someday "admit" he is Satoshi, or if someone else discovers who the "real" creator of Bitcoin is. For now, HBO's documentary is no more than a theory on the masked individual or entity that created a revolution in the digital economy.