Peter Todd Forced Into Hiding After HBO Documentary Claims

According to Cointelegraph, Canadian cryptographer and computer scientist Peter Todd has gone into hiding due to safety concerns following an HBO documentary that allegedly identified him as the inventor of Bitcoin (BTC). The documentary, titled “Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery,” aired on October 9 and claimed to unveil the true identity of “Satoshi Nakamoto,” the pseudonym used by Bitcoin's creator. The film concluded with Todd stating, “Well yeah, I’m Satoshi Nakamoto,” after exploring other potential candidates. Todd has consistently denied being Satoshi Nakamoto and has dismissed the documentary's claims. In a recent interview with Wired, he expressed that he has been forced into hiding due to fears for his safety. Todd accused filmmaker Cullen Hoback, the documentary’s director, of using dubious evidence to support the film’s erroneous conclusion. Despite Todd's denials, the documentary included footage and sources indicating that Todd has a history of jokingly stating, “I am Satoshi,” similar to the famous line “I am Spartacus” from the 1960 film “Spartacus.” In the film, captured warriors each claim to be Spartacus to protect the real Spartacus from Roman soldiers. Todd agreed to participate in the HBO documentary under the impression that it would focus on the history of Bitcoin rather than attempting to expose Satoshi Nakamoto. He emphasized that falsely identifying ordinary people as extraordinarily wealthy individuals exposes them to threats like robbery and kidnapping. Todd stated, “Satoshi obviously didn't want to be found, for good reasons, and no one should help people trying to find Satoshi.” However, Hoback appears to have a different perspective. According to Wired, Hoback believes that Todd and others have exaggerated the situation and that the idea of revealing Nakamoto has not posed any real threat to those investigated. Hoback argued that identifying the person who controls a significant portion of Bitcoin's supply is important. Despite the documentary's claims, the so-called reveal has not convinced many within the cryptocurrency community that Todd is indeed Satoshi Nakamoto.