Co-founder of Twitter (now X) and Square (Block), Jack Dorsey, is allegedly the creator of Bitcoin under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. This theory was put forward by deBanked’s editor-in-chief, Sean Murray.
The expert compiled an extensive list of facts, dates, and coincidences that, in his view, support this claim.
According to Murray, Dorsey was interested in cypherpunk culture during his college years. He wore an RSA t-shirt by Hashcash creator Adam Back, received cryptographic newsletters, and his university course had a focus on cryptography.
In 2003, Dorsey published an autobiography in which he described hacking and working on cryptography at 4 a.m. Notably, all original Bitcoin code documents bear timestamps around the same hour.
Around that time, Dorsey also wrote about giving up his dependence on the US dollar and creating a barter network.
From September 2007 to January 2009, Dorsey’s Twitter profile stated that he was a sailor. Interestingly, the original Bitcoin code includes an old saying:
“Never go to sea with two chronometers — take one or three.”
On January 10, 2009, Satoshi accidentally logged into an IRC chat using a real IP address, revealing his location in California. At that time, Dorsey was also in California.
Murray highlighted several other notable coincidences:
- The first Bitcoin transaction took place on Dorsey’s mother’s birthday.
- Satoshi joined the Bitcoin forum on Dorsey’s own birthday.
- The last block mined by Bitcoin’s creator fell on Dorsey’s father’s birthday.
However, BitMEX Research analysts disagreed with this claim. They argue that determining the exact date when Satoshi stopped mining is difficult because the “Patoshi pattern” has degraded over time.
Satoshi used brute-forced Bitcoin addresses, some beginning with the letters NS, while one contained jD2m in the middle. Murray believes this is a reference to Dorsey’s San Francisco address: Jack Dorsey, 2 Mint Plaza.
Murray also pointed out that when Satoshi told his collaborator Martti Malmi that he was genuinely busy with work, Dorsey was deeply involved in launching his startup Square.
In December 2010, Satoshi advised on the Bitcoin forum not to donate cryptocurrency to Wikileaks. On December 14, Twitter received a subpoena demanding the release of all information about the non-profit organization. The day before, Satoshi disappeared from the chat.
In March 2011, Dorsey became Twitter’s Executive Chairman while remaining CEO of Square. He often admitted being very busy with both companies. Around a month later, Satoshi sent his final message, noted Murray.
In 2014, Satoshi’s email was hacked, and the attacker threatened to reveal his ties to St. Louis, Missouri. Notably, Dorsey is originally from St. Louis.
In 2020, journalist Lex Fridman asked Dorsey directly on his podcast if he was Satoshi. Dorsey replied that he would not admit it even if he were. Murray believes this contrasts with figures like Nick Szabo, Adam Back, and Hal Finney, who all directly denied such claims.
In July 2024, Dorsey posted on the decentralized platform Nostr:
“I often imagine Satoshi sitting somewhere, laughing at all of this.”
Later, he also thanked the late Hal Finney for his contributions.
“The belief that Satoshi never wanted to be found is something others have made up about him. Satoshi chose pseudonymity, not anonymity,” Murray noted, referring to Dorsey’s comments on Fridman’s podcast.
Earlier, an HBO documentary, Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery, named Canadian programmer Peter Todd as the creator of Bitcoin. Todd denied the claim and later went into hiding due to safety concerns.