The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has responded to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request from prominent tech entrepreneur and disinformation researcher Dave Troy about enigmatic Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto.
In its response, which was published on Troy’s X social media profile, the FBI stated that Satoshi could be “one or more third-party individuals,” adding that it can neither confirm nor deny their existence.
Troy has stated that he is going to appeal the response, adding that his intention is to get possible information that the FBI may have on the subject. Such information might be useful for establishing Satoshi’s identity, but this is not Troy’s primary goal as of now.
Up to this day, the identity of the Bitcoin creator, whose last known appearance on the internet dates back to 2014, remains crypto’s biggest mystery. Multiple self-proclaimed Satoshi candidates have emerged, with Australian computer scientist Craig Wright being the most prominent example.
The Satoshi mystery has become a breeding ground for various unfounded conspiracy theories, with some even going as far as suggesting that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is behind it.
The most popular (and plausible) Satoshi candidate is none other than cyberpunk legend Hal Finney. The computer scientist, who passed away in 2014 after suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease, is widely known for receiving the first-ever Bitcoin transaction. However, Casa cofounder Jameson Lopp recently presented compelling evidence showing that Finney was unlikely to be Satoshi.
Meanwhile, as reported by U.Today, Satoshi is on track to cease being the biggest Bitcoin holder. According to well-known ETF analyst Eric Balchunas, BlackRock’s IBIT could be on track to take their place next year based on the current pace of its inflows. The combined holdings of U.S. Bitcoin ETFs are already close to surpassing those of Satoshi’s. Moreover, their 1.1 million Bitcoin fortune is believed to be significantly exaggerated.
