The race to unmask the true identity of Bitcoin’s mysterious creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, is intensifying.
American computer scientist Nick Szabo, the mind behind the early crypto project Bit Gold, has surged to the top of the odds on Polymarket.
As HBO’s “Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery” prepares to name Nakamoto, Szabo’s odds have risen to 27.9%, surpassing cryptographer Len Sassaman, who sits at 14%. Blockstream CEO Adam Back lags behind with 4.3%.
Initially, Sassaman led with a commanding 68% when Polymarket opened the market on October 4.
However, those odds tumbled after documentary producer Cullen Hoback hinted on October 7 that he had confronted the person he believes is the true Nakamoto. Since Sassaman passed away in 2011, Hoback’s comment is likely a game-changer, casting doubt on Sassaman’s potential identity as Nakamoto.
Further adding to the intrigue, Sassaman’s widow, Meredith Patterson, revealed to DL News that HBO never reached out to her about the documentary. This raises more questions about whether the documentary’s producers are genuinely zeroing in on Szabo or someone else.
Other popular candidates are also being ruled out.
Hoback’s claim about confronting his Nakamoto choice effectively disqualifies Hal Finney, who passed away in 2014 after receiving the first-ever Bitcoin transaction from Nakamoto. Finney currently holds only 2.7% odds on Polymarket.
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Paul Le Roux, a jailed software programmer, trails with 2.8% odds, while billionaire Elon Musk, past claimant Craig Wright, and early suspects Dorian Nakamoto and David Kleiman have all but faded into the background with minimal odds.
Interestingly, the “Other/Multiple” option leads with a 37% chance, reflecting the ongoing mystery.
Despite never launching, Szabo’s Bit Gold project is seen as a major precursor to Bitcoin, with its peer-to-peer architecture, proof-of-work mining, and cryptography concepts. While some speculate Szabo is indeed Nakamoto, he has consistently denied any involvement.
Hoback confirmed via X on October 5 that his documentary would “land on a specific name,” hinting that the documentary may finally pinpoint a single individual behind Bitcoin’s origin.
The documentary premieres on HBO at 2:00 am UTC, October 9, promising to shed light on one of the most debated mysteries in the crypto world.
