Peter Todd slams HBO for putting his life in danger by calling him Bitcoin’s creator

Canadian cryptographer Peter Todd has entered hiding pursuing the merchandise of an HBO documentary that accuses him of being the elusive creator of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto, according to an Oct. 22 Wired report.

The film, called Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery, aired connected Oct. 9 and claimed to reveal Nakamoto’s existent individuality aft years of speculation.

The documentary, directed by filmmaker Cullen Hoback, examines a fig of imaginable contenders for the relation of Bitcoin’s creator, yet focusing connected Todd, who stated successful the last scenes of the film:

“Well yeah, I’m Satoshi Nakamoto.”

Todd has since clarified that his connection was taken retired of discourse and that helium was joking. He has consistently denied being Nakamoto, calling the claims mendacious and dangerous.

In an interrogation with Wired, helium expressed interest for his information pursuing the documentary’s release. He emphasized that Nakamoto’s determination to stay anonymous was a deliberate, sensible 1 and argued that radical should refrain from trying to “reveal Nakamoto’s identity.”

He besides emphasized the risk, stating:

“Falsely portraying mean individuals arsenic extraordinarily affluent puts them astatine hazard for threats similar robbery and kidnapping.”

Todd said helium agreed to enactment successful the documentary due to the fact that helium believed it would research the past of Bitcoin, not effort to retired its creator. Now, helium says, the absorption connected him has led to information concerns that prompted him to spell into hiding.

While Hoback utilized footage of Todd jokingly claiming to beryllium Satoshi Nakamoto arsenic portion of his evidence, Todd compared the infinitesimal to the celebrated country successful the 1960 movie Spartacus, wherever captured warriors each assertion to beryllium the person to support fell the existent leader’s identity.

Todd dismissed the remarks arsenic thing much than a lighthearted notation to a operation and sentiment often echoed by galore successful the Bitcoin community.

Despite Todd’s objections, Hoback has stood by the film’s narrative. In statements made to Wired, Hoback argued that determining Nakamoto’s individuality is crucial, fixed the imaginable power the idiosyncratic holds owed to controlling a important information of Bitcoin’s full supply.

He said:

“This idiosyncratic controls one-twentieth of each integer golden successful existence. It’s indispensable to cognize who this is.”

However, the film’s decision has failed to sway overmuch of the crypto community, which remains skeptical of the assertion that Todd is the existent Satoshi Nakamoto. Many presumption the documentary’s grounds arsenic anemic and circumstantial, with small to definitively link Todd to Bitcoin’s creation.

As the statement continues, Todd has urged respect for Nakamoto’s tendency for privacy, informing that speculation astir the creator’s individuality is not lone unproductive but besides poses real-world risks.

The station Peter Todd slams HBO for putting his beingness successful information by calling him Bitcoin’s creator appeared archetypal connected CryptoSlate.