Bitcoin: Satoshi Nakamoto's Truth Is Darker Than Expected

For over a decade, the identity of Satoshi Nakamoto, the anonymous creator of Bitcoin, has fueled rumors and speculation. An elusive figure, who revolutionized modern finance before mysteriously disappearing. Yet, every time an attempt is made to solve this mystery, a new veil seems to cover the matter. However, with the imminent release of a documentary produced by HBO, a new wave of speculation has hit. This time, Polymarket, a decentralized betting platform, allows its users to bet on the identity of the mythical creator of Bitcoin. So, who really is Satoshi Nakamoto? Will this documentary finally provide a definitive answer?

Len Sassaman: The name that is making waves

In the cryptocurrency world, some names resonate more than others. Currently, it is Len Sassaman who is in the spotlight. According to Polymarket bettors, Sassaman is leading the speculations with a 45% chance of being identified as the real Satoshi Nakamoto. But why this name in particular?

Sassaman, a renowned cryptographer, was a staunch advocate for privacy. Highly respected in cypherpunk circles, he spent much of his life exploring the fields of cryptography and anonymous systems.

Some consider him the ideal candidate: his work in the communities that shaped the early days of Bitcoin, as well as his technical expertise, make him a serious contender.

Although he passed away in 2011, which might initially rule out his direct involvement in the later development of Bitcoin, his deep knowledge and commitment to privacy fuel this theory. After all, who better than an expert in cryptography and anonymity to have conceived such a revolutionary technology?

But the story of Sassaman doesn’t stop there. Some even think that his tragic disappearance might have been orchestrated to maintain the mystery surrounding Satoshi. A bold hypothesis, but one that adds a new dimension to this already complex puzzle. With such a profile, it’s no surprise that Polymarket sees in him a potential Satoshi Nakamoto.

Other contenders, but with reduced odds

Although Sassaman is at the top of the bets, he is not the only candidate in the running. Hal Finney, a pioneer in cryptography, comes in second with 15% odds.

Finney is a name often mentioned in the context of Bitcoin, and for good reason: he was one of the first to adopt the cryptocurrency and even received the very first Bitcoin transaction from Satoshi himself.

This proximity to Nakamoto, combined with his major contributions in the field of cryptography, makes Finney a serious candidate, even if the community remains divided as to his exact role.

It is also interesting to note that some believe Finney might have been in close collaboration with Nakamoto, or even operated under that pseudonym. But despite these theories, his odds, according to Polymarket, remain lower than those of Sassaman.

Among other contenders are Nick Szabo, often credited for his work on smart contracts, and Adam Back, creator of Hashcash, a technology that largely influenced the development of Bitcoin.

Yet, their odds are far from high: 2% for Szabo and 7% for Back. Szabo, notably, despite being theorized as one of the main brains behind Bitcoin, seems to have lost ground in this speculative race.

The great unknown: what if it was more than one person?

Finally, a more intriguing hypothesis continues to circulate: what if Satoshi Nakamoto was not a single person, but a group of anonymous collaborators? According to the bettors, 38% believe the HBO documentary might reveal that Satoshi Nakamoto is not an isolated individual, but the result of a collective effort.

This theory, though enticing, raises new questions. Is it possible that several cryptography experts worked together to create Bitcoin and then decided to step back under a common pseudonym?

This option, although it seems distant from the classic narrative of a solitary genius, would correspond to the collaborative spirit of the cypherpunk communities that shaped the technologies of privacy protection and decentralization. Such a revelation would upend our perception of Bitcoin’s history.