Backlash against identifying Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto grows on social media

As new information emerges that could potentially identify the creator of Bitcoin, speculation on the matter is being met with backlash on social media.

Jack Mallers, founder and CEO of Bitcoin payment app Strike, said:

“You guys gotta stop speculating on who Satoshi [Nakamoto] is … it’s so fiat … it’s childish … you sound like a bunch of frat brothers trying to social climb up the curve.”

Mallers commented on speculation that Hal Finney — an early Bitcoin contributor who passed away in 2014 — may be Nakamoto. He suggested that such speculation could be dangerous to Hal’s widow, Fran Finney. Furthermore, Mallers said that Nakamoto clearly intended to remain anonymous by using a pseudonym and said that speculation disrespects this.

Bitcoin Core contributor Matt Corallo contributor made similar comments earlier, writing:

“This [speculation] is absolutely disgusting. Hal’s bitcoin were sold long, long ago to help pay for ALS treatments. Treasure hunters have since harassed Fran … seeking some billions in bitcoin that she doesn’t have. Alleging [someone] is satoshi is incredibly dangerous. Don’t do it.”

Los Angeles-based Bitcoiner and software engineer GangGangHODL, meanwhile, wrote that Nakamoto created Bitcoin as “ultimate gift to humanity” and only wanted anonymity in return. “Let’s give that gift back with all due respect,” they wrote.

Ongoing legal case has prompted new speculation

Finney and several other early Bitcoin contributors have long been considered likely candidates for the individual (or individuals) working as Satoshi Nakamoto. Finney is specifically considered a likely candidate because of his early use of Bitcoin, a comparative analysis of his writing style, and the fact that he once lived in the same neighborhood as someone named Dorian Nakamoto.

More recent speculation has seemingly been prompted by a court case involving computer scientist Craig Wright, who claims to be Nakamoto. A coalition of crypto industry members called the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) is fighting Wright’s dubious claim in court.

Several early contributors, including Adam Back and Martii Malmi, have recently submitted their early email correspondence with Nakamoto to the case. The current controversy comes from speculation in which Adam Cochran, a partner at Cinneamhain Ventures (CEHV), speculated that Hal Finney is likely to be the individual working behind the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto by examining those emails and outlining a timeline of events.

Despite these recent developments, Satoshi Nakamoto’s true identity is ultimately unknown, and there is no widespread consensus about who he or she may be.