Another Day, Another Self-Proclaimed Satoshi: The Wild Story of Stephen Mollah’s Outlandish Bitcoin Claim
Satoshi Nakamoto‘s identity remains a mystery.
HBO’s outing of Peter Todd was universally discredited.
Stephen Mollah steps forward to claim to be Bitcoin‘s creator.
Satoshi Nakamoto’s final post on the Bitcointalk forum in December 2010 mentioned tackling denial-of-service attacks. After that, the mysterious figure disappeared, leaving behind a 1.1 million BTC fortune that remains untouched to this day. Sponsored
Over the years, several candidates have been suggested, with some even stepping forward to claim they created Bitcoin. Playing on this mystery, a press release for an October 31 event in London promised to end the speculation, but the big reveal was met with widespread skepticism.
British Businessman Claims to Have Created Bitcoin
A press release by PR London Live on October 30 announced that Satoshi Nakamoto would finally reveal his identity at a live press conference the following day. BBC tech reporter Joe Tidy attended, identifying British businessman Stephen Mollah as the latest to claim he is Bitcoin’s creator.
Tidy noted the event’s unusual setup, including a £500 ($649) entry fee and distracting filler content before the big reveal. When Mollah stepped forward as Satoshi, Tidy reported a noticeable shift in the room as skepticism grew.
To support his claim, Mollah presented what Tidy described as “a series of easy-to-fake screenshots.” When pressed to move some of the Bitcoin mined by Satoshi in the early days, Mollah replied that he would do so “in the next few months.”
Leave Satoshi Alone
An HBO documentary released in October claimed to have identified developer Peter Todd as Satoshi Nakamoto. However, the claim was swiftly debunked, with the community pointing out that it relied heavily on circumstantial evidence, including post timings and misinterpreted comments from Todd.
Despite the pushback, the documentary generated significant buzz, drawing mainstream attention to Bitcoin and briefly reigniting the mystery of Satoshi’s identity.
Strike CEO Jack Mallers argued that the ongoing obsession with Satoshi’s identity misses the point. Mallers urged the community to move on, calling the fixation “disrespectful” and even fiat-minded.
On the Flipside
Having no leader is considered an aspect of decentralization.
Mollah will face trial on fraud charges in November 2025.
Why This Matters
Bitcoin’s dismantling of financial gatekeepers is a testament to an idea bigger than any individual’s claim to fame.
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