"Satoshi Nakamoto" in different periods 2010: Hal Finney • Background: A pioneer in cryptography and the first person in history to receive a Bitcoin transfer (sent by Satoshi Nakamoto himself). • Reason: He was an early core contributor to Bitcoin and lived a few miles from Dorian Nakamoto. Many believe he ghostwrote or participated in the development. He died of ALS in 2014. 2012: Nick Szabo • Background: Computer scientists proposed the concept of "Bit Gold" long before Bitcoin existed. • Reason: Bitcoin's architecture is extremely similar to his Bit Gold. Despite his repeated denials, linguistic analysis shows that his writing style is highly consistent with the Bitcoin white paper. 2014: Dorian Nakamoto • Background: A Japanese-American engineer whose real name is indeed "Satoshi Nakamoto". • Reason: Newsweek published a cover story identifying him as Satoshi Nakamoto, triggering a global media frenzy. However, he himself stated that he knew nothing about Bitcoin, which became a famous blunder in the crypto. 2016: Craig Wright • Background: Australian computer scientist. • Reason: He is one of the few people who claims to be Satoshi Nakamoto (nicknamed "Craig Wright"). However, he has consistently failed to provide crucial proof of his private key and has lost numerous legal battles. Currently, most academic and community members do not recognize his identity. 2018: Adam Back • Background: Inventor of Hashcash (the prototype of the proof-of-work mechanism used by Bitcoin), currently CEO of Blockstream. • Reason: He is one of the few scholars cited in the white paper. Some documentaries strongly suggest that he is Satoshi Nakamoto, but he has consistently denied it. 2020: Jack Dorsey • Background: Founder of Twitter, a huge believer in Bitcoin. • Reason: This is speculation at the level of "popular culture." Because of his strong advocacy for Bitcoin payments (such as the Lightning Network), the community began to jokingly include him on the list. 2022: Elon Musk • Background: Tesla and SpaceX CEOs. • Reason: A former SpaceX intern speculated on his blog that Musk was capable of writing Bitcoin code. Musk later denied this on Twitter, stating that he preferred Dogecoin. 2024: Peter Todd • Background: Early Bitcoin developer and cryptography consultant. • Reason: This stems from the 2024 HBO documentary "Digital Money: The Bitcoin Mystery." In the film, the director confronts Todd, claiming he is Satoshi Nakamoto, but Todd himself immediately ridicules the theory, deeming it absurd. 2026: Jeffrey Epstein • Background: A deceased American tycoon involved in a serious criminal scandal. • Reason: Various early letters point to Bitcoin.