Summary
- The New York Times reported that Adam Back is the person behind Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin.
- The industry reacted skeptically, saying Satoshi cannot be identified through stylometric analysis alone.
- Adam Back said he is not Satoshi and has simply focused on cryptography, electronic cash and Hashcash.
Forecast Trend Report by Period
The New York Times has identified Adam Back, the Blockstream chief executive officer and creator of Hashcash, as the most likely person behind Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin. Back flatly denied the claim.
John Carreyrou, the New York Times reporter known for exposing Theranos, reported on July 8 that Back is the leading candidate to be Satoshi Nakamoto.
Carreyrou pointed to Back’s role as an early cryptographer cited in the Bitcoin white paper. He also argued that Back and Satoshi shared similar habits in their use of hyphens, choice of technical terms and writing style. Cointelegraph said the report had revived one of Bitcoin’s oldest mysteries, but without cryptographic proof the case remains circumstantial.
The industry reaction was skeptical. Jameson Lopp, chief security officer at Casa, said Satoshi cannot be identified through stylometric analysis alone.
Back also rejected the report directly. He told Cointelegraph that he is not Satoshi and has been focused since the early 1990s on the social potential of cryptography and electronic cash, interests that simply led to other ideas such as Hashcash.
JOON HYOUNG LEE
gilson@bloomingbit.ioCrypto Journalist based in Seoul
