Recently, a new individual has claimed to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin, shortly after filmmaker Cullen Hoback’s HBO documentary suggested that Peter Todd was Nakamoto. Stephen Mollah, who introduced himself as an economic and monetary scientist, held an event to reveal his identity as Bitcoin’s creator. Attendees were charged a fee to attend, which a BBC correspondent declined.
The event, organized by Charles Anderson, was intended to showcase Mollah’s evidence; however, technical difficulties led to an offline presentation. As Mollah attempted to establish his credentials, the atmosphere grew tense, with journalists leaving and the crowd displaying skepticism towards his claims. Mollah recounted his history of attempting to reveal his identity in 2016, but had faced obstructions.
Despite presenting what he claimed to be supporting materials, the validity of Mollah’s evidence was questioned, and he failed to provide any cryptographic proof related to Bitcoin. As the event deteriorated, many attendees voiced their disappointment on social media, ridiculing Mollah’s assertions. Critics described the event as poorly executed and labeled Mollah another ‘faketoshi.’ Compounding his troubles, Mollah faces a criminal trial for fraud related to his claims, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
