{"id":44873,"date":"2026-04-08T15:26:03","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T15:26:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=44873"},"modified":"2026-04-08T15:26:03","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T15:26:03","slug":"nyt-reporter-says-adam-back-is-bitcoin-founders-but-he-denies-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=44873","title":{"rendered":"NYT reporter says Adam Back is Bitcoin founder&#8217;s \u2014 but he denies it"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F2%2F2026%2F04%2Fcrop-39024824_9c62ba.jpg?quality%3D90%26strip%3Dall\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>A New York Times reporter claims he\u2019s cracked one of tech\u2019s biggest mysteries by unearthing the real identity of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/04\/08\/business\/bitcoin-satoshi-nakamoto-identity-adam-back.html?unlocked_article_code=1.ZVA.5_s8.hTKeCkV97kow&amp;smid=tw-share\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bitcoin\u2019s elusive founder Satoshi Nakamoto<\/a> \u2014 but the man he fingered flatly denies it.<\/p>\n<p>Times journo John Carreyrou on Wednesday named Adam Back, a 55-year-old British computer scientist and cryptographer, as the real Nakamoto, prompting Back to renew his denials that that\u2019s the case.<\/p>\n<p>\u201ci\u2019m not satoshi, but I was early in laser focus on the positive societal implications of cryptography, online privacy and electronic cash,\u201d Back <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/adam3us\/status\/2041811857732768148\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-nyp-affiliate=\"true\">wrote on X<\/a>, replying to Carreyrou\u2019s claim.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Adam Back has repeatedly denied he is Bitcoin\u2019s elusive creator Satoshi Nakamoto \u2014 despite a new investigation pointing to him. <span class=\"credit\">Bloomberg via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Carreyrou,<a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2025\/12\/24\/business\/ex-wsj-reporter-who-exposed-theranos-fraud-sues-ai-giants-over-alleged-book-piracy\/\"> the former Wall Street Journal reporter<\/a> who first exposed the Theranos scandal, wrote that he spent more than a year combing through thousands of archived emails, forum posts and early internet records in an effort to identify Nakamoto.<\/p>\n<p>He wrote that emails and posts attributed to Nakamoto used British expressions and spellings \u2014 a pattern that suggested a UK-based author like Back.<\/p>\n<p>Carreyrou pointed to a series of other clues linking Back to the Bitcoin creator, including his invention of Hashcash, a precursor cited in the original Bitcoin white paper.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-primary-tag\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>The Times reporter also cited similarities in writing style, technical language and even grammar quirks common to Back and Nakamoto, along with the cryptographer\u2019s silence when Bitcoin first launched and his emergence in the community after Nakamoto apparently disappeared.<\/p>\n<p>Carreyrou used artificial intelligence tools to analyze writing patterns and linguistic quirks in Nakamoto\u2019s posts, though he stressed the findings were not definitive and relied on broader circumstantial evidence.<\/p>\n<p>On social media, however, Carreyrou took a far more confident tone, declaring that the \u201cmystery\u201d of Nakamoto was \u201cnot anymore\u201d unsolved and promoting his reporting as having identified Bitcoin\u2019s creator, even teasing that the figure was a 55-year-old British man \u2014 signaling a level of certainty that went beyond the more measured case laid out in his article.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-wrapper twitter\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The mystery of Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous inventor of Bitcoin, has remained unsolved for 17 years. Not anymore. Read my 18-month investigation to find out who Satoshi really is. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/fPtaK6YHJC\">https:\/\/t.co\/fPtaK6YHJC<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 John Carreyrou (@JohnCarreyrou) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JohnCarreyrou\/status\/2041737922458599477?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 8, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>The longtime cryptographer has rejected claims he is Satoshi Nakamoto, calling the evidence against him coincidence. <span class=\"credit\">Bloomberg via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Carreyrou\u2019s theory draws in part on evidence that surfaced <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2024\/05\/21\/business\/craig-wright-forged-documents-on-a-grand-scale-in-false-claim-to-be-bitcoin-inventor-satoshi-nakamoto-judge\/\">during a legal fight involving Craig Wright<\/a>, who falsely claimed to be Bitcoin\u2019s creator.<\/p>\n<p>Materials from that case included 2008 emails showing Nakamoto reaching out to Back ahead of the white paper\u2019s release \u2014 correspondence long viewed as evidence that Back was not behind the pseudonym.<\/p>\n<p>But Carreyrou argued the exchange could be misleading, suggesting Back may have authored both sides of the emails to create distance from the Satoshi identity \u2014 a contention Back rejects, maintaining the messages are legitimate and that he had no role in creating Bitcoin.<\/p>\n<div class=\"single__inline-module inline-module inline-module--newsletter aligncenter inline-module--nypostbusinessunit aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-newsletter\" data-source-unit=\"Inline Newsletter Module Morning Report\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__inner\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__title-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__unsubmitted-title-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with all you need to know\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<p class=\"inline-module__cta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMorning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>He pointed to his long history in the \u201ccypherpunk\u201d movement, writing on X that his \u201c1992 onwards active interest in applied research on ecash, privacy tech on cypherpunks list \u2026 led to hashcash and other ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Back also dismissed the purported writing similarities, saying: \u201cthe rest is a combination of coincidence and similar phrases from people with similar experience and interests.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He argued the findings reflect \u201cconfirmation bias,\u201d writing that because he was active in early digital cash discussions, \u201cthere\u2019s some confirmation bias in finding my comments frequently on ecash topics.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-wrapper twitter\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">i&#8217;m not satoshi, but I was early in laser focus on the positive societal implications of cryptography, online privacy and electronic cash, hence my ~1992 onwards active interest in applied research on ecash, privacy tech on cypherpunks list which led to hashcash and other ideas.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Adam Back (@adam3us) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/adam3us\/status\/2041811857732768148?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 8, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>The Bitcoin insider says \u201cit\u2019s really not me\u201d after being linked to the Satoshi Nakamoto identity. <span class=\"credit\">Bloomberg via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Back further insisted he is not Bitcoin\u2019s creator, adding: \u201cI also don\u2019t know who satoshi is, and I think it is good for bitcoin that this is the case.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Back repeatedly pushed back on the claim in interviews with the Times, insisting \u201cit\u2019s really not me,\u201d while dismissing the evidence as inconclusive and chalking up the apparent links to coincidence.<\/p>\n<p>Carreyrou remained skeptical of Back\u2019s repeated denials, writing that the cryptographer\u2019s explanations often fell short and his reactions at times appeared \u201cdefensive.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>The reporter noted that Back conceded he had the right background and skills to be Bitcoin\u2019s creator and even acknowledged inconsistencies in key emails \u2014 but denied any deception, including the idea that he sent messages to himself.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/04\/08\/business\/nyt-reporter-says-adam-back-is-bitcoin-founders-but-he-denies-it\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A New York Times reporter claims he\u2019s cracked one of tech\u2019s biggest mysteries by unearthing the real identity of Bitcoin\u2019s elusive founder Satoshi Nakamoto \u2014 but&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":44874,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44873","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44873","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=44873"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44873\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/44874"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=44873"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=44873"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=44873"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}