Bitcoin powers a two-trillion-dollar cryptocurrency market, is currently traded by the world's largest investment firms, and is even an official currency in one country. Despite its spectacular rise, a major mystery remains: who is its enigmatic founder, Satoshi Nakamoto? Many have attempted to answer that question, but all have failed. In October, a high-profile HBO documentary claimed Peter Todd, a Canadian bitcoin specialist, was he. The only problem was that he said he wasn't, and the crypto community mostly ignored it.
So, naturally, ears perked up across our newsroom - and the crypto industry as a whole - when word spread on Thursday that the mysterious founder of Bitcoin would finally reveal himself at a press conference. Satoshi Nakamoto is a person of great interest, in part because he is regarded as a revolutionary coder who helped to pioneer the cryptocurrency sector. Their voice, beliefs, and worldview would have a significant impact on an industry with such a dedicated and fanatical fanbase.
However, Satoshi's curiosity arises from the fact that, as the proprietor of more than one million bitcoins, he would be a multibillionaire, not least because the price of the coins is currently approaching an all-time high.
Given his immense riches, the organizer of Thursday's press conference asked me to pay for my place at his spectacular reveal, which seemed strange. A front-row seat would cost £100. It was an additional £50 if I wanted limitless questions. Organiser Charles Anderson even persuaded me to spend £500 in exchange for the opportunity to interview "Satoshi" on stage.
I declined.
Mr Anderson said I could come anyway, but with the degree of anticipation, there might not be a seat for me.
Merely about a dozen reporters attended the elite Frontline Club, which paused proceedings at one point to emphasize that it merely supplied a room and not an official endorsement. It quickly became evident that all of the attendees were quite skeptical. After considerable investigation, it was discovered that both the organizer and the supposed Satoshi were now immersed in a complex court battle over fraud allegations related to claims to be Satoshi. It wasn't a good start, and things only went worse from there.
Mr. Anderson invited "Satoshi" to appear on stage.
A man named Stephen Mollah, who had been sitting calmly on the side the entire time, went forward and forcefully declared: "I am here to make a statement that yes: I am Satoshi Nakamoto, and I created Bitcoin on Blockchain technology."Over the next hour, reporters were increasingly angry as he failed to produce any of the promised evidence to back up his assertions. Mr Mollah offered to make the Hail Mary maneuver of unlocking and engaging with the first Bitcoins, which only Satoshi could do.
But he did not. I left with other perplexed reporters, carrying any remaining worries that this would prove to be yet another dead end in the attempt to identify Satoshi.
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