The Man Who Keeps Getting Accused of Inventing Bitcoin Says: “It Wasn’t Me”

A British crypto pioneer pushes back against a high-profile New York Times investigation — but the real Satoshi Nakamoto remains as elusive as ever

Adam Back, a well-known British Bitcoin developer and entrepreneur, has once again found himself at the center of one of the internet’s most fascinating unsolved mysteries. Following a sweeping investigative piece by the New York Times, which pointed to Back as the likely creator of Bitcoin — the person known only as Satoshi Nakamoto — Back came forward to firmly deny the claim.

Speaking directly to the BBC on X (formerly Twitter), he kept it simple: “I’m not Satoshi.”

What Did the New York Times Actually Claim?

The New York Times investigation, written by journalist John Carreyrou, was a deep and detailed one. It drew comparisons between Back’s early emails, online posts, and writing style with those attributed to Satoshi Nakamoto — and the similarities, according to the piece, were hard to ignore.

The analysis also noted a curious timing overlap: Back’s activity on Bitcoin forums appeared to line up suspiciously with the periods when Satoshi was most active — and his quieter periods seemed to mirror Satoshi’s eventual disappearance from the internet after Bitcoin’s foundational white paper was published.

On the surface, it made for a compelling case.

Adam Back’s Response: “Coincidence and Similar Phrases”

Back wasn’t having it. He addressed the NYT’s claims point by point on X, pushing back on the forum activity argument by saying he actually “did a lot of yakking” on Bitcoin forums during the time in question — directly contradicting the timeline the article laid out.

As for the linguistic similarities and other circumstantial evidence? He chalked it all up to “a combination of coincidence and similar phrases from people with similar experience and interests.”

He also added a touch of humor to the whole saga. When the topic of Bitcoin wealth came up — Satoshi is believed to be sitting on a stash worth around $70 billion — Back quipped that he clearly didn’t have enough Bitcoin, joking: “Kicking myself for not mining in anger in 2009.”

Why Does Everyone Want to Know Who Satoshi Is?

The obsession with uncovering Satoshi’s identity isn’t just about satisfying curiosity. It’s also about staggering wealth and influence.

Whoever Satoshi Nakamoto truly is, they are believed to control a Bitcoin wallet containing over one million coins — roughly 5% of all Bitcoin that will ever exist, given that Satoshi capped the total supply at 21 million. At today’s prices, that makes Satoshi one of the wealthiest people on the planet, whether they choose to reveal themselves or not.

A Long History of “Unmasking” Satoshi

This isn’t the first time someone has been confidently named as Bitcoin’s elusive creator — and had that claim fall apart.

Peter Todd (2024): An HBO documentary pointed the finger at Canadian crypto expert Peter Todd, who called the allegation “ludicrous” and later provided evidence undermining the claim.

Stephen Mollah (2024): A British man held a press conference in London declaring himself to be Satoshi. The crypto community largely ignored him.

Dorian Nakamoto (2014): A Newsweek cover story identified a Japanese-American man in California as the mysterious inventor. He denied it, and the story has since been widely discredited.

Craig Wright (2015–present): Perhaps the most persistent claimant of all. After Wired and Gizmodo published an investigation pointing to Australian computer scientist Craig Wright, Wright himself stepped forward and declared he was Satoshi — even presenting what he said was proof. The crypto community was skeptical from the start, and after years of legal battles, a UK High Court judge officially ruled that Wright was not Satoshi Nakamoto.

The Mystery Lives On

Back has been accused of being Satoshi more times than he probably cares to count. His early involvement in cryptography and digital cash systems, combined with his technical credibility, makes him a natural target for speculation. But for now, his answer remains unchanged.

As for the real Satoshi? They’re still out there — silent, anonymous, and sitting on one of the largest fortunes in the world.