Polymarket Launches Betting Markets on Satoshi Nakamoto’s Identity
Traders on Polymarket are now betting on who the upcoming HBO documentary “Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery” will reveal to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous inventor of Bitcoin. The market will resolve on October 8 after the premiere.
Len Sassaman Leads in Betting Odds
The current favourite in the betting ring is a cryptographer named Len Sassaman, with 54% of all the money bet. Sassaman had been an important figure within the cryptographic community until his death in 2011, just after Satoshi made his last public posting. For many conspiracy theorists, this has helped to link his death with the sudden vanishing of Bitcoin’s creator, adding fuel to the speculation.
Theories Beyond Sassaman
Though Sassaman leads the market, the second-highest betting option, “Other/Multiple, suggests that the real Satoshi is either a group of people or somebody completely outside of the known crypto space. The option has pulled in 38% of the total bets.
The less popular theories involve Hal Finney, one of the early adopters who received the first transaction in Bitcoin from Satoshi, and Adam Back, the CEO of Blockstream. Both men have long been linked to Bitcoin’s origin story.
Craig Wright’s Controversial Claims
Since 2016, Australian computer scientist Craig Wright has claimed to be Nakamoto, but the claims have since been widely debunked. In a UK High ruling in 2024, the assertions made by Wright that he was Satoshi Nakamoto were rejected, citing the cumulation of evidence showing that he is not the author of Bitcoin’s whitepaper.
Conclusion
It was with the highly publicized premiere of “Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery” that Polymarket’s betting board became one fascinating look into the public’s speculation over one of the most enduring mysteries in the world of cryptocurrency.
