Peter Todd Distressed Over HBO Linking Him To $60B Bitcoin Fortune: ‘He’s Putting My Life At Risk’
In a recent interview with Bloomberg, software developer Peter Todd made a decisive statement regarding claims about his identity. Todd firmly announced that he is not Satoshi Nakamoto, the mysterious creator of Bitcoin. These claims surfaced in light of the HBO documentary Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery, which hinted at a possible connection between Todd and Nakamoto based on circumstantial evidence.
Peter Todd Responds to Speculations in HBO Documentary
Addressing the speculations, Todd sent an email to Bloomberg on Wednesday, stating unequivocally, “I am not Satoshi.” This email was in direct response to the documentary, directed by Cullen Hoback, which suggests that Nakamoto might have used Todd’s Internet message board account to continue discussions initiated under the Nakamoto pseudonym.
However, Todd refuted these suggestions, highlighting that during the period in question, his account was under the name “retep.” He further explained that users on the Bitcoin message board often employed anonymous handles. Todd emphasized that had he continued Nakamoto’s posts mistakenly under the “retep” account, he would have simply created a new account under his real name.
In a move to clarify further, Todd revealed that he later updated the “retep” account to reflect his real identity. He remarked, “If Cullen had actually wanted to find Satoshi, he could have easily fact-checked this,” implying that the documentary might have been more focused on creating a stir than on seeking the truth. Todd went on to criticize Hoback’s approach, describing it as a “threadbare, circumstantial, coincidence-based” endeavor to identify Nakamoto.
Peter Todd Expresses Concerns Over Personal Safety
The documentary’s assertions have understandably raised concerns for Todd’s safety, as reported by Bloomberg. The wallets associated with the real Satoshi Nakamoto reportedly contain around 1 million Bitcoin, a sum currently valued at approximately $62 billion. Todd voiced his fears, noting, “Obviously, falsely accusing someone of having tens of billions of dollars puts them at risk from robbery and kidnappings. He’s putting my life at risk to promote his movie.”
The quest to uncover the true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto has been ongoing since Bitcoin’s inception in January 2009. Over the years, many individuals have been speculated to be potential candidates for this enigmatic figure. In 2014, Newsweek alleged that physicist Dorian Nakamoto was the creator, a claim he denied vigorously. Similarly, in 2015, the New York Times suggested that computer scientist Nick Szabo might be Nakamoto. Australian entrepreneur Craig Wright has also claimed to be Satoshi, though a UK judge ruled otherwise, determining he is not the creator of Bitcoin.
Current Bitcoin Market Analysis
As of the current market analysis, Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency, is trading at $61,000. This represents a decline of over 2% in the past 24 hours, amid a broader market correction that has led to significant liquidity withdrawals. The total valuation of the cryptocurrency market stands at $2.088 trillion, marking an outflow of over $200 million in the last two weeks. This comes after the market reached a near two-month high of $2.29 trillion at the end of September.
