On the 31st of October, a highly anticipated press conference took place at London’s Frontline Club, promising to unveil the real identity of Satoshi Nakamoto, the mysterious creator of Bitcoin. Stephen Mollah, a British businessman currently entangled in a legal dispute over the same claim, boldly asserted that he is the person behind the pseudonym.
Is Stephen Mollah The Bitcoin Inventor?
In the run-up to this event, a press release dated October 30th titled “Satoshi Nakamoto to Reveal Legal Identity on 31 October 2024” circulated extensively. The announcement detailed a live press conference scheduled for 11:30 AM (London time) at the Frontline Club in Paddington, London. The release stated:
“After over a decade of speculation and mystery, the world will finally learn the true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto, the elusive inventor of Bitcoin and the foundational blockchain technology. On this momentous occasion, Nakamoto will reveal his legal identity in a live press conference, marking a historic event in the cryptocurrency landscape.”
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Allegedly, the man claiming to be Satoshi Nakamoto was quoted as saying: “The time has come for me to officially reveal my identity. I am facing significant legal challenges, and I believe the world deserves the truth.”
Joe Tidy, a correspondent for BBC News, was present at the event and shared live updates on social media. His observations provided insights into a somewhat chaotic and contentious gathering: “I’m at a London event billed as the ‘unveiling of the true legal identity of Bitcoin inventor Satoshi Nakamoto’. An odd setup to the press conference as the organizer asked me to pay £500 to attend and appear on stage to ask questions of the billionaire mystery man.”
Event Dynamics and Claims
Charles Anderson, the event organizer, opened the proceedings, stating he had had only two hours of sleep in the last 48 hours due to the overwhelming response to the announcement. Anderson made some audacious claims about his own achievements, including inventing “energy recovery systems” in cars and creating the television show “Britain’s Got Talent.”
The event took a surprising turn when a representative from the Frontline Club intervened to clarify that the event was neither affiliated with nor endorsed by the club. This led to at least one reporter choosing to leave.
Amid technical issues, particularly an inability to get their laptop operational, Stephen Mollah took the stage. He declared himself Satoshi Nakamoto and vowed to provide evidence supporting his claim. Tidy reported: “’Satoshi’ and his organizer cannot get their laptop working, so they are conducting the event offline for now. Mr. Mollah is explaining his background and says he is an economic and monetary scientist. He says he previously tried to out himself as Satoshi in 2016 but ‘someone stopped him’ then again by speaking to the BBC’s Rory Cellan-Jones who interviewed him but didn’t publish a story.”
Legal Challenges and Allegations
Mollah’s claim is not without precedent. An October 10 report by the London Evening Standard highlighted that Mollah, 58, and Anderson, 67, are currently defendants in a private prosecution alleging fraud. They are accused of falsely representing Mollah as Satoshi Nakamoto and claiming he owned 165,000 Bitcoin held in Singapore—an amount worth billions of dollars.
The charge specifies that the duo “dishonestly” asserted Mollah’s identity and ownership of the substantial Bitcoin holdings, aiming to cause loss to or expose the alleged victim, Dalmit Dohil, to a risk of loss. Both Mollah and Anderson have pleaded not guilty to a single charge of fraud by false representation at Inner London Crown Court and were released on unconditional bail, with a trial date set for November 3, 2025.
Community Reactions
The Bitcoin community reacted swiftly and skeptically to the event. Many labeled Mollah as yet another “Faketoshi,” a term used to describe individuals falsely claiming to be Satoshi Nakamoto. Online forums and social media platforms buzzed with criticism and disbelief.
One user commented: “Spoiler alert for the newest Faketoshi: Charles Anderson is the ‘journalist’ who is ‘exposing’ Stephen Mollah as the ‘true’ Satoshi. Charles Anderson is a liar, and Stephen Mollah is a fraud. There should be zero tolerance for vermin like this in polite society.” Another added: “Definitely one of the more crazy people claiming to be Satoshi lol.”
At the time of writing, Bitcoin was trading at $71,880, marking a slight decline below the $72,000 mark.
With this ongoing saga, the true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto remains shrouded in mystery, continuing to intrigue and captivate the world of cryptocurrency enthusiasts and skeptics alike.
