British businessman accused of fraud declares himself Bitcoin’s creator Satoshi Nakamoto
Key Takeaways
- Stephen Mollah, facing fraud charges, claims to be Satoshi Nakamoto.
- Mollah failed to provide evidence supporting his claim to be Bitcoin’s creator.
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Stephen Mollah, a British businessman accused of fraud related to his Satoshi Nakamoto claims, attempted to assert his identity as the creator of Bitcoin during a London press conference on October 31, as reported by Joe Tidy, a cyber correspondent from BBC News who attended the event.
Mollah’s attempt to substantiate the assertion, however, fell flat. According to Tidy, Mollah, who described himself as an economic and monetary scientist, was unable to proceed with a planned live demonstration due to laptop issues. He recounted past efforts to reveal his identity, including an alleged interview with BBC’s Rory Cellan-Jones that never materialized.
Tidy reported that Mollah presented “a series of easy-to-fake screenshots” as evidence of his identity. When pressed by journalists for more concrete proof, such as moving Bitcoin from the Genesis block or providing cryptographic signatures, Mollah stated he would do so in the coming months
Many attendees began to leave as Mollah struggled to maintain credibility, with one observer noting his visibly nervous demeanor.
“Journalists (including myself) have interrupted Mr. Mollah’s long backstory and asked him to show the promised evidence. Been here nearly an hour and people are restless and increasingly rude. Mr. Mollah’s cheek is twitching rapidly as he stares down at a skeptical crowd,” Tidy wrote.
The BitMEX Research team, who also attended the event, called Mollah “Faketoshi.” The businessman reportedly claimed he was the inventor of “the euro bond,” “the Twitter logo,” and “the ChatGPT protocol.”
The press conference, announced a day earlier by PR London Live, promised to reveal Satoshi’s identity. As stated in the press release, “Satoshi” said “growing legal pressures” forced them to come forward.
Reports indicate that Mollah and the event’s organizer, Charles Anderson, were alleged to have falsely claimed ownership of 165,000 Bitcoin supposedly held in Singapore, intending to deceive an individual named Dalmit Dohil.
These individuals have pleaded not guilty to charges of fraud by false representation. Their trial is set for November 3, 2025, after being released on unconditional bail.
Ultimately, both Mollah and Anderson failed to deliver on their promises. The most definitive way to verify Satoshi Nakamoto’s identity requires moving Bitcoin from known Satoshi addresses or providing cryptographic signatures associated with the original Bitcoin software, neither of which was demonstrated at the event.
It has only reinforced skepticism about Mollah’s claims and left the true identity of Bitcoin’s creator shrouded in mystery once again.
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Author: Vivian Nguyen
