The Satoshi Nakamoto mystery finally solved? The British Adam Back is said to be the creator of Bitcoin

It’s a mystery that has kept enthusiasts in suspense since 2009, the date Bitcoin was first put into service. Who created the most famous cryptocurrency? His identity has never been revealed, the founder having used the pseudonym “Satoshi Nakamoto” to maintain anonymity.

A New York Times investigation published this Wednesday lifts the veil on this well-kept secret, suggesting that British cryptographer Adam Back is in reality “Satoshi Nakamoto”. Aged 55, a true figure in the world of cryptocurrencies, Back is the founder and current boss of Blockstream, a blockchain company.

The investigative work was carried out by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist John Carreyrou, who for a year analyzed a gigantic database: emails, posts and public archives. The correspondence of “Nakamoto” with a Finnish programmer, preparatory work before the creation of Bitcoin, was notably scrutinized.

Writing Similarities

Through an artificial intelligence program, many features were noticed in “Nakamoto’s” writing style, including hyphen errors and spelling variations (e.g., the word also very often used at the end of a sentence). Particularities which correspond mainly to those observed in Adam Back’s correspondence.

Another disturbing element: an interview in El Salvador, during which Adam Back is questioned by the New York daily about a quote from “Satoshi”: “I am better with code than with words. » The British cryptographer then replied: “However, I chatted a lot about these lists. » For the New York Times, there is no doubt, this is a revealing slip of the tongue.

“I’m not Satoshi,” Adam Back denied this Wednesday in a post on X, citing “confirmation bias” as well as a “combination of coincidences and similar phrases from people with similar experiences and interests.” He adds that he does not know who “Satoshi” is.

The creator of Bitcoin is estimated to have a fortune worth $118 billion. A sum which, without a doubt, would immediately make this person a target, while kidnappings of cryptocurrency holders have been increasing for several months.