Dogecoin Founder Billy Markus Highlights Satoshi Nakamoto’s Impact Amid HBO Documentary Controversy

Billy Markus, co-creator of Dogecoin, recently commented on Bitcoin’s mysterious creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, following the release of an HBO documentary titled “Money Electric: Bitcoin Mystery.” 

The documentary, which claimed to reveal Nakamoto’s true identity, has stirred debate among crypto enthusiasts. Markus, using his social media pseudonym “Shibetoshi Nakamoto,” stressed that Satoshi Nakamoto’s role in the creation of Bitcoin has fundamentally changed the world. However, Markus, alongside other early Bitcoin developers, disputed the conclusions made in the film.

remember when that documentary revealed who satoshi nakamoto was and it sent shockwaves through world financial markets and even the us presidential election just like politico said it would

— Shibetoshi Nakamoto (@BillyM2k) October 16, 2024

HBO Documentary Sparks Debate

“Money Electric: Bitcoin Mystery” was released over a week ago and immediately caused a ripple effect in the cryptocurrency market. The documentary attempts to unmask Satoshi Nakamoto by presenting several candidates who could be the elusive Bitcoin founder. 

The film eventually claims that Peter Todd, an early Bitcoin developer, is the real Satoshi Nakamoto. However, Todd strongly denied this accusation, criticizing the documentary’s director for compromising his privacy and endangering his family. Todd’s denial and skepticism voiced by other early Bitcoiners have further fueled ongoing uncertainty about Nakamoto’s identity.

Skepticism From Early Bitcoin Developers

Several prominent figures in the Bitcoin community, including Adam Back, CEO of Blockstream, and Samson Mow, head of JAN3, have spoken out against the documentary’s claims. Both Back and Mow were interviewed for the film and expressed doubt that the world will ever definitively know who Satoshi Nakamoto is.

Mow suggested that Nakamoto may have remained anonymous out of concern for future legal and regulatory scrutiny, a theory shared by many in the cryptocurrency community.

Before the documentary’s release, many cryptocurrency observers had speculated that the film would point to Len Sassaman, another prominent figure in the early days of Bitcoin, as the true Nakamoto. Despite this, the documentary’s conclusion naming Peter Todd has continued to generate significant controversy.

Billy Markus’ Take on Bitcoin’s Creator

Billy Markus also weighed in on the documentary after its release. In response to online discussions about the film, Markus believed that Bitcoin was likely created by Hal Finney, an early Bitcoin developer, along with other collaborators. 

Bitcoin’s first-ever transaction was made to Finney by Nakamoto, and the former breathed his last in 2014. Markus said some words about further influence of Bitcoin creation, that Nakamoto has created something that changed the world.

you changed the world forever

— Shibetoshi Nakamoto (@BillyM2k) October 16, 2024

For this reason, while the discussions on the real Satoshi Nakamoto keep ongoing, there is no consensus in the crypto community. Most tend to establish the fact that the identity of Nakamoto might never be discovered.