Peter Todd is a known Bitcoin core developer and cryptographer who has gained recognition for his contributions to the Bitcoin ecosystem. On October 9, 2024, HBO’s documentary 'Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery' identified Peter Todd as Bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator — Satoshi Nakamoto. ^[1][3]

Todd denied being Satoshi Nakamoto via a tweet saying;

"I'm not Satoshi."^[2]

Overview

Born and raised in Canada, Peter Todd graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto. He previously told a podcast he was about 15 years old when he first started communicating with key crypto influencers, known as the cypherpunks. ^[8][9]

As an early contributor to the Bitcoin codebase, Todd is among a few individuals who communicated directly with Satoshi before their disappearance in 2011. He previously confirmed that he was in his early teens when he started communication with Hal Finney and Adam Back, two prominent Bitcoin pioneers. ^[3]

He has worked on various blockchain projects and is best known as a Bitcoin Core Developer at Coinkite since 2014. He has held roles in several projects, including serving as Chief Scientist at Mastercoin and Dark Wallet - a discontinued Bitcoin wallet created to improve the anonymity of Bitcoin transactions. ^[3]

Todd is also the founder of OpenTimestamps, a project aimed at providing a decentralized timestamping service. ^[5]

In 2016, he participated in Zcash’s trusted setup ceremony, helping set up cryptographic keys for securing wallets and blockchain protocols. He later called his involvement “pointless” because he didn’t think “the Zcash trusted setup should be called a multiparty computation.” ^[10][4]

HBO's Documentary & Peter Todd

On October 3, 2024, HBO released a trailer for the documentary called - "Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery" which claimed to have cracked the true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto. The documentary is a work of Emmy-nominated Cullen Hoback, who received critical acclaim for his series "Q: Into the Storm," which exposed the creators of the QAnon conspiracy theory. ^[6]

On October 9, 2024, HBO's documentary 'Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery' identified Peter Todd as a possible candidate for the identity of Bitcoin’s creator, Satoshi Nakamoto. ^[3][10]

The documentary builds a case by highlighting Todd’s deep expertise in cryptography and blockchain technology, as well as his early involvement in Bitcoin development. ^[7]

As a key contributor to the Bitcoin codebase, Todd actively participated in discussions and collaborated with prominent figures during Bitcoin's early years. His use of pseudonyms in online cryptography and Bitcoin forums, mirroring Nakamoto's preference for anonymity, further fuels speculation. ^[4]

The documentary also draws connections between Todd’s work and several projects he has championed, raising intriguing questions about his potential role in Bitcoin’s creation. ^[4][7]

In an email to CoinDesk before the documentary's release, Todd reportedly denied he was the Bitcoin creator:

"Of course I'm not Satoshi," he said.
"It's ironic that a director who is also known for a documentary on QAnon has resorted to QAnon style coincidence-based conspiracy thinking here too." ^[11]

In response to a thread on X originally posted by BitMEX Research, Todd further denies the claim saying "I'm not Satoshi."^[2]

On October 22, 2024, Wired reported that Peter Todd went into hiding due to an influx of financial requests and potential threats from those believing he possesses Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto's many-billion-dollar fortune, highlighting the real-world dangers of such public allegations. However, Todd tweeted that Wired's claim is "exaggerated," offering as proof his appearance this week at a conference. ^[12][13]

Todd also told Decrypt that being publicly branded as the elusive genius sitting on $74.4 billion worth of Bitcoin has forced him to go even further to defend himself.

“I have taken some security measures,” Todd said.
“But it’s not a good idea to say exactly what I’ve done publicly. Best to keep the bad guys guessing.” ^[14]