Tucker Carlson Suggests Bitcoin Creator Satoshi Nakamoto May Have CIA Ties

American television host and political commentator Tucker Carlson has stirred an uproar on the internet after suggesting that Satoshi is someone linked to the U.S intelligence agencies.

Carlson also expressed his doubts towards Bitcoin, calling it a scam run by the aristocrats of society.

"I fear that it will become so many other things in our country-a scam of sorts run by a coalition of the financial beneficiaries, like a few people who are getting all the winnings and the politicians they control, who use it to further their control of American society."

Speaking at a Turning Point USA event honoring the late activist Charlie Kirk, Carlson questioned Bitcoin’s legitimacy, claiming it may not be as decentralized as its supporters believe.

Identifying himself as “a gold buyer,” he said Bitcoin always lacked credibility to him because of the anomynous nature of its founder.

“Nobody can explain to me who Satoshi was — this mysterious guy who apparently died, but nobody knows who he was.”

He then went on to speculate how Satoshi could be someone from the establishment who is trying to secretly exert control over Americans

“I grew up in D.C., in a government family, so CIA, that’s my guess. Can’t prove it. But you’re asking me to invest in something whose founder is mysterious and holds billions in unused Bitcoin — what is that?”

Carlson’s remarks frame Bitcoin not as a technological breakthrough, but as a potential Trojan horse — a system that could be controlled by the very establishment it claims to challenge.

Satoshi Nakamoto, whose 2008 white paper introduced the concept of decentralized digital money, mined Bitcoin’s first block, the “Genesis Block,” in January 2009 before vanishing. More than fifteen years later, Nakamoto’s identity remains one of the most enduring mysteries in modern finance and technology.

According to blockchain analytics firm Arkham Intelligence, Bitcoin addresses attributed to Satoshi hold roughly 1.096 million BTC, worth around $120 billion at current prices. Carlson’s comments arrive as Bitcoin trades near $108,800, steady after several weeks of consolidation — even as institutional adoption grows through U.S.-approved ETFs and major financial firms.

Bitcoiners Push Back Against the CIA Theory

Bitcoin advocates swiftly pushed back on Carlson’s claims. Marty Bent, founder of crypto media outlet TFTC, dismissed the notion that Bitcoin’s origins determine its trustworthiness.

“It doesn’t matter if the CIA created Bitcoin. Even if it did (it didn’t), anyone can audit the code to see if it works as intended. That’s all that matters.”

Jack Mallers, CEO of Strike, echoed that sentiment, arguing that Carlson “simply doesn’t understand Bitcoin.” He emphasized that Bitcoin’s transparency and open-source nature make it immune to centralized control — including from any government agency.

For the Bitcoin community, Carlson’s theory reflects a fundamental misunderstanding: Bitcoin was designed to eliminate the need for trust in any individual or institution — including the CIA.

An Old Fear, A New Face

Speculation about Nakamoto’s identity has long captivated both crypto enthusiasts and skeptics. In June, an anonymous wallet sent roughly $20,000 worth of Bitcoin to Nakamoto’s Genesis Block address — the largest transaction to that wallet in months. Analysts at Arkham Intelligence suggested the transfer was either an exchange error or a symbolic tribute from an early Bitcoin supporter.

Such periodic transactions often reignite public fascination with Nakamoto’s identity. Yet despite countless theories — ranging from rogue developers to government agencies — no credible evidence has ever emerged linking Satoshi to the CIA or any intelligence organization.

Still, Carlson’s remarks underscore a persistent tension in the digital age: the fear that even technologies built for freedom might secretly serve the systems they sought to escape.