Electric Coin: The Secret of Bitcoin - A Satoshi Investigation Without the Final Blow
Date: 2024-10-10 Author: Henry Casey Categories: CRYPTO PAYMENTS
Cullen Hoback's documentary Electric Coin: The Secret of Bitcoin created a stir even at the trailer stage, promising to reveal for the first time the identity of Bitcoin's creator, Satoshi Nakamoto. The director, who became interested in cryptocurrency seven years ago due to digital security issues, dedicated the film to investigating this enigmatic figure.
The film is 100 minutes long, which is quite a long time, and balances on the edge between satisfying the interests of viewers unfamiliar with cryptocurrency and those who are in the know. Visual explanations of the blockchain and a brief history of Bitcoin help newcomers, while archival footage from films and TV shows gives the film an original feel. For example, the mining process is illustrated by a scene from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.
The main goal of the film is not so much to explain how Bitcoin works, but to try to figure out who Satoshi Nakamoto is. Hoback points out the importance of this question, emphasizing that Satoshi owns a million bitcoins, which could cause panic in the markets if they were ever used.
The film introduces viewers to a number of suspects. Among them is Samson Mow, the CEO of JAN3, who has been actively promoting the idea of Bitcoin as an official currency in various countries. Another key figure is Adam Back, the co-founder of Blockstream, who may have been the first person Satoshi contacted about his idea. Back denies his involvement, but Hoback points out many facts that could point to this, including his move to Malta around the time Bitcoin was created.
Also featured in the film is Peter Todd, a programmer who jokes about being Satoshi. His involvement becomes more significant towards the end of the film, when emails and connections to a mysterious figure named John Dillon are discussed. Hoback even suggests that Todd and Dillon may be the same person.
The final 20 minutes of the film lead the viewer to the idea that Todd may have accidentally given himself away by using the wrong profile on the BitcoinTalk forum. However, Todd himself openly laughs at this theory, calling it ridiculous.
Despite its best efforts, the film does not offer a definitive answer to the question of Satoshi Nakamoto’s identity. Although Hoback makes compelling points, there are already questions and criticisms in the crypto community about the veracity of the facts presented. Satoshi remains a mystery, and the film, while offering an interesting investigation, does not provide the decisive solution that viewers were hoping for.
