In a recent rebuttal on Wednesday, Bitcoin veteran Adam Back dismissed allegations that he is the enigmatic creator of Bitcoin, following a New York Times exposé that identified him as a leading suspect. The investigation by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist John Carreyrou spanned 18 months and involved grammar analysis, extensive research, and interviews. Known for uncovering the Theranos scandal, Carreyrou concluded that Back might be Satoshi Nakamoto after examining up to 620 potential suspects.
Back asserted on X, “I am not Satoshi,” calling the article a mix of coincidences and shared phrases among individuals with similar backgrounds and interests. Since Bitcoin’s inception 17 years ago, the true identity of its creator has remained elusive, sparking numerous books and documentaries. Carreyrou’s research also noted parallels between Back’s writings and early decentralized currency concepts.
The investigation highlighted similarities in writing style and technical language between Back and Satoshi over various online posts and emails. Additionally, Back was recognized for conceiving Bitcoin’s core elements and addressing issues like email spam, similar to Satoshi’s known concerns. His expertise in public-key cryptography further aligned him with Bitcoin’s security principles.
Satoshi Nakamoto’s identity has been speculated to belong to several figures, including Hal Finney, Nick Szabo, and Dorian Nakamoto. Skepticism arose following the exposé, with one X user citing Back’s involvement with a Bitcoin treasury firm as implausible evidence of his being Satoshi, humorously noted by Teddy Fusaro, president of Bitwise.
Carreyrou’s conclusions partly stemmed from interviews with Back, including a conversation in El Salvador where Back made a comment that Carreyrou interpreted as an inadvertent admission. When asked about coding versus communication skills—a known trait of Satoshi—Back remarked on his extensive participation in Bitcoin development discussions, suggesting potential confirmation bias on Carreyrou’s part.
The exposé brought renewed attention to Back after last year’s revelations of his invitation to Jeffrey Epstein’s island and Justice Department files showing Epstein’s investment in Blockstream, a company co-founded by Back. Despite previous assertions linking Back to Satoshi through writing style analysis, including comments from the late John McAfee about similarities between their writings, Bitcoin enthusiasts largely dismissed Carreyrou’s latest findings.