Is Bitcoin inventor Satoshi Nakamoto really buried in Leuven, Belgium?

The HBO documentary “Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery” has reignited speculation about the identity of Bitcoin’s creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, with particular focus on Leonard (Len) Sassaman, a cryptographer and privacy advocate. Sassaman, who completed his PhD at KU Leuven and died by suicide in 2011, is now considered by some as a potential candidate for Nakamoto. The timing of his death aligns closely with Nakamoto’s sudden disappearance from the Bitcoin community in the same year, further fueling the theory.

About Leonard (Len) Sassaman

Sassaman was deeply involved in the cypherpunk movement, working on privacy-enhancing technologies like Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) and anonymous remailer systems, which share conceptual similarities with Bitcoin’s emphasis on privacy and decentralization. His close ties to key figures in the Bitcoin space, such as Hal Finney, who received the first Bitcoin transaction, add weight to the theory. A tribute to Sassaman was even embedded in the Bitcoin blockchain shortly after his death.

However, there is no concrete proof linking Sassaman to Bitcoin’s creation. His widow, Meredith Patterson, has publicly stated that Sassaman was not involved in Bitcoin’s development. Moreover, other cryptographers, including Sassaman’s academic supervisor Bart Preneel, doubt the theory, suggesting that while Sassaman had the technical expertise, his work did not align directly with Bitcoin’s vision or design.

The documentary’s claims, while intriguing, have not resolved the long-standing mystery of Nakamoto’s identity, and many in the crypto community remain skeptical, insisting that cryptographic proof, such as activity from Nakamoto’s Bitcoin wallet, is necessary to definitively identify the creator.

What is Known About Satoshi Nakamoto

Satoshi Nakamoto is the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin, the first decentralized cryptocurrency. Despite numerous attempts to identify Nakamoto, their true identity remains one of the greatest mysteries in technology and finance.

Here’s what is known about Satoshi Nakamoto based on public information:

1. Bitcoin Creation and White Paper

Nakamoto introduced Bitcoin by publishing a white paper titled “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System” on October 31, 2008. The paper detailed the mechanics of Bitcoin, including its decentralized nature and the use of blockchain technology to solve the “double-spending problem” that plagued earlier digital currencies. This groundbreaking solution ensured that transactions could be verified without the need for a central authority.

2. Development and Early Involvement

Nakamoto was heavily involved in the early development of Bitcoin, writing the code and corresponding with early adopters via email and forums. The first block of Bitcoin, known as the genesis block, was mined by Nakamoto on January 3, 2009. The initial software was released as open-source, allowing others to participate in Bitcoin’s evolution.

3. Interaction with Early Bitcoin Community

During the early days of Bitcoin, Nakamoto communicated with a small group of cryptographers and developers, including Hal Finney, an early adopter who received the first Bitcoin transaction from Nakamoto. Nakamoto was known for being cautious, using encrypted communications and keeping personal details private. Their writing style included British English spellings, which has fueled speculation about their origin, though no definitive evidence has emerged.

4. Disappearance

In April 2011, Nakamoto sent a final email to a Bitcoin developer stating that they had “moved on to other things” and that Bitcoin was in “good hands”. After that, Nakamoto ceased all public communication. Their Bitcoin wallet, which contains approximately 1.1 million BTC (currently valued in the billions of dollars), has remained inactive since.

5. Speculations About Nakamoto’s Identity

Various individuals and theories have been proposed as Nakamoto, but none have been definitively proven:

• Hal Finney: A well-known cryptographer who worked closely with Nakamoto and was the first to receive a Bitcoin transaction.
• Nick Szabo: A cryptographer and creator of Bit Gold, a precursor to Bitcoin.
• Craig Wright: An Australian entrepreneur who claimed to be Nakamoto in 2016, but his claims were widely dismissed due to lack of credible proof​.
• Len Sassaman: A cryptographer linked to the cypherpunk movement, whose death in 2011 coincides with Nakamoto’s disappearance. The HBO documentary “Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery” explores this theory​.

Impact and Legacy

Satoshi Nakamoto’s invention of Bitcoin has sparked the development of thousands of cryptocurrencies and a multi-trillion dollar market. Their decision to remain anonymous has only added to the mystique surrounding Bitcoin and its ideals of privacy and decentralization. Despite the many theories, the true identity of Nakamoto remains unknown, and the dormant state of their Bitcoin fortune continues to intrigue the world.