Yet another documentary promising to unmask the pseudonymous Bitcoin inventor Satoshi Nakamoto has been unveiled.
Channel 4, a British television station, says the “fun, journalistic, gonzo journey” aims to determine who Satoshi Nakamoto could be.
It comes hot on the heels of a HBO program that attracted no shortage of criticism and derision among Bitcoiners.
“Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery” had claimed that BTC Core developer Peter Todd was this cryptocurrency’s elusive creator.
But that led to a blunt denial from Todd, with venture capitalist Adam Cochran accusing HBO of “shit journalism.”
The Channel 4 show, which will initially launch on YouTube on Monday, Feb. 17, is hosted by the reporter Gabriel Gatehouse.
He hosts a BBC podcast called “The Coming Storm” that delves into the “conspiracy theories tearing America apart.”
And according to trade magazine Broadcast, his new series “uncovers what could be a conspiracy to end democracy and transform the world as we know it.”
As well as shedding light on Nakamoto’s true identity, the documentary aims to explore “how the individuals and ideas at the heart of Bitcoin’s creation have traveled from the tech fringes to the center of politics.”
Executive producer Will Anderson says the investigation morphed from a manhunt “to a surreal quest to uncover a potential plot by a group of Silicon Valley power brokers to undermine democracy.”
Bitcoiners may roll their eyes at this point, with TV shows focused on crypto generally accused of being overly simplistic, inaccurate, unfair… or all three.
Given HBO’s slickly produced attempt aired in October, this British broadcast has the advantage of absorbing the impact of Donald Trump’s return to the White House—complete with pro-crypto policies.
“Seeking Satoshi: The Mystery Bitcoin Creator” is set to air on YouTube as five, 20-minute films, before being stitched together and broadcast on TV as a feature-length documentary at the beginning of March.
Edited by Stacy Elliott.
