Key Takeaways
- Stephen Mollah’s claim as Bitcoin’s creator falls apart during a London event, leaving journalists unimpressed and skeptical.
- Despite promising irrefutable proof, Mollah cannot validate his claim to Satoshi Nakamoto's identity or Bitcoin’s genesis keys.
- Mollah’s assertions join a series of failed attempts by others claiming to be Satoshi, further fueling public doubt.
Stephen Mollah’s Claim as Bitcoin’s Creator Draws Skepticism
Stephen Mollah, dressed in a colorful turban and eccentric attire, claimed at a London event that he is the inventor of Bitcoin.
The event, hosted at the Front Line Club on October 31, drew around a dozen journalists intrigued by the promise of meeting the real Satoshi Nakamoto.
Attendees, however, were immediately skeptical, with BBC reporter Joe Tidy sharing his disbelief via live-tweets during the presentation.
The Financial Times reported that the event's tone was unusual from the start, beginning with Mollah’s team testing the microphone by saying “Testicles, one, two, three.”
A Lack of Proof and Dubious Claims
Despite claiming to be Satoshi Nakamoto, Mollah failed to produce convincing proof, citing paper 'timestamps' as evidence of his role in Bitcoin’s creation.
Mollah claimed he invented other notable entities, such as the Twitter logo, the Eurobond, and what he called the 'ChatGPT protocol'.
Journalists pressed him to demonstrate control over Bitcoin’s “Genesis coins,” but Mollah stated he lacked the keys, which he claimed were scattered across eight computers worldwide.
He alleged that various groups have attempted to hack him to gain access to his Bitcoin holdings, further fuelling doubt among attendees.
A History of Failed Claims to the Satoshi Nakamoto Identity
Stephen Mollah’s bold claims join those of previous individuals who have unsuccessfully claimed to be the creator of Bitcoin.
Other claimants include Craig Wright, a neurodivergent computer scientist from Australia who recently admitted he was not Bitcoin’s inventor after a UK court ruling.
Mollah and his event organizer, Charles Anderson, are also facing fraud accusations, with both pleading not guilty in a London court last month.
