Hunt for Bitcoin's elusive creator Satoshi Nakamoto hits another dead-end

Bitcoin underpins a 2 trillion-dollar cryptocurrency industry, is present traded by the world's biggest concern houses and is adjacent an official currency successful 1 country.

But contempt its meteoric rise, a heavy enigma remains astatine its heart: what is the existent individuality of its founder, the elusive Satoshi Nakamoto?

Many person tried to reply that question, but truthful acold each person failed. In October, a high-profile HBO documentary suggested that a Canadian bitcoin adept called Peter Todd was he. The lone problem: helium said helium was not, and the crypto satellite mostly shrugged it off.

So, inevitably, ears pricked up crossed our newsroom - and the crypto satellite astatine ample - erstwhile connected Thursday a telephone went retired that the mysterious creator of Bitcoin was to, finally, unmask himself astatine a property conference.

There is heavy involvement successful who Satoshi Nakamoto is successful portion due to the fact that they are considered a revolutionary programmer who helped spawn the crypto industry.

Their voice, opinions and satellite presumption would beryllium highly influential connected an manufacture with specified a devoted and zealous fanbase.

But the fascination besides stems from the information that, arsenic the holder of much than 1 cardinal bitcoins, Satoshi would beryllium a multi-billionaire, not slightest due to the fact that the terms of the coins is presently adjacent to an all-time high.

Given that immense wealth, it was somewhat antithetic to beryllium asked by the organiser of Thursday’s property league to wage for my spot astatine his expansive unveiling.

A beforehand enactment spot would beryllium £100. It was different £50 if I wanted unlimited questions. Organiser Charles Anderson adjacent encouraged maine to walk £500 successful speech for the privilege of interviewing "Satoshi" connected stage.

I declined.

Mr Anderson said I could travel on immoderate mode but cautioned determination mightiness not beryllium a spot for me, specified was the level of anticipation.

As it happened, seating wasn’t a problem.

Only astir a twelve reporters turned up to the prestigious Frontline Club - which interrupted proceedings astatine 1 constituent to accent it lone provided a room, and not immoderate authoritative endorsement.

Very soon it became wide that each attendees were highly sceptical.

After immoderate digging it emerged some the organiser and the purported Satoshi were presently embroiled successful a analyzable ineligible combat implicit fraud allegations - linked to claims to beryllium Satoshi.

It was an unpromising start, and things lone got worse from there.

Mr Anderson invited "Satoshi" to travel connected stage.

A antheral called Stephen Mollah, who had been sat silently connected the broadside the full clip walked up and resolutely declared: “I americium present to marque a connection that yes: I americium Satoshi Nakamoto and I created the Bitcoin connected Blockchain technology.”

Over the pursuing hour, reporters went from amused to irritated arsenic helium failed to supply immoderate of the promised grounds for his claims.

Mr Mollah promised that helium would marque the Hail-Mary determination of unlocking and interacting with the first-ever Bitcoins to beryllium created - thing that lone Satoshi could do.

But helium didn't.

I departed, on with different bemused reporters, taking with america immoderate lingering doubts that this would beryllium to beryllium yet different dead-end successful the quest to unmask Satoshi.

The database of those identified - unsuccessfully - arsenic Satoshi Nakamoto is long.

In 2014, a high-profile nonfiction successful Newsweek said it was Dorian Nakamoto, a Japanese-American antheral surviving successful California.

But helium denied it and the assertion has mostly been debunked.

A twelvemonth later, Australian machine idiosyncratic Craig Wright was outed arsenic Satoshi by reporters.

He denied it, earlier saying it was existent - but past failed implicit galore years to nutrient immoderate evidence.

In the outpouring the High Court successful London ruled that Mr Wright was not the inventor.

Tech billionaire and crypto enthusiast Elon Musk besides denied helium was down the cryptocurrency aft a erstwhile worker astatine 1 of his firms, SpaceX, suggested it.

Which brings america to the question: does it truly matter?

The crypto market's existent valuation means it is worthy much than Google. And it seems inconceivable that the tech elephantine would play specified a large relation successful our lives without radical knowing who founded it, and owned a sizeable chunk of the firm.

Perhaps there’s bully crushed for the existent Satoshi to support schtum though. That bitcoin stash would marque them worthy an estimated $69bn and their beingness and quality would nary uncertainty beryllium heavy scrutinised if they were found.

Peter Todd, who was named by the HBO documentary arsenic being Satoshi, said the unwelcome attraction he's received has made him fearful for his safety.

Many successful the crypto satellite bask the information that the enigma remains unsolved.

"No-one knows who Satoshi is and that's a bully thing," Adam Back, 1 of its halfway developers (and different imaginable Satoshi candidate) posted connected X recently.

Natalie Brunell, a Bitcoin podcaster, thinks Satoshi's anonymity is not lone deliberate but essential.

"By concealing his existent identity, Satoshi ensured that Bitcoin wouldn’t person a person oregon cardinal figure, whose idiosyncratic docket could power the protocol," she told me.

"This allows radical to spot Bitcoin arsenic a system, alternatively than placing their spot successful an idiosyncratic oregon company."

Carol Alexander, prof of concern astatine Sussex University - who lectures connected the past of Bitcoin - is little sure.

In her view, the circus astir who Satoshi Nakamoto is distracts from radical looking into - and getting to grips with - the much superior question of however cryptocurrencies mightiness upend the mode the system works.

As I near the Frontline Club it was hard to compute the bizarre property event, beyond 1 evident fact.

For present - and possibly everlastingly - the hunt for Satoshi continues.