Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery and Key Comments From Cullen Hoback

So, the HBO movie Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery is live, which is trying to get to the bottom of Satoshi Nakamoto's thinning personality

HBO movie Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery hit the screens on Friday, aiming to uncover the true identity of Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto. The film presents a strong case for software developer Peter Todd being Satoshi, despite his denials.

Film director Cullen Hoback explained his reasoning in an interview with Decrypt, highlighting the massive impact Bitcoin has had on the global economy and the importance of understanding who controls a large portion of it.

“If Bitcoin had petered out, if it wasn’t being embraced by nation states, wasn’t being incorporated into 401(k)s, it would be a different story. But bitcoin is increasingly becoming a major backbone of the financial system. It’s not going anywhere. Meanwhile, there is this anonymous figure who likely controls, or very possibly controls, a massive share of it — a million or so bitcoin. So, I think that understanding if that person still holds the keys (to their crypto wallet), what the ideas and intent of that person or people, really are, is important, given bitcoin’s prominence.”

Hoback also pointed out how the mythology surrounding Satoshi may be detrimental to Bitcoin at this stage.

“I think that the mythos around this anonymous figure was beneficial largely because it started to take on an almost godlike quality. Like it came down from the heavens and was bestowed upon humanity. And it allowed people to kind of believe whatever they wanted about it. That it was so pure and that it was kind of the solution to all the world’s problems.

I think at this point that mythos is actually a detriment to Bitcoin. I think that’s part of why trying to solve it right now is important. Because it is baked into our financial system at this point, and it touches the lives of most people.”

When asked about his confidence level in the theory, Hoback stated that the film presents a strong case, leaving the final judgment up to the audience.

“Well I think we present a hell of a case in the film. And ultimately, it’s like if you were doing a trial or something, right? You’re going to make the best case you possibly can. It’s not like we have Satoshi literally sending a transaction on camera. Like that fake Satoshi did a number of years ago, when Craig Wright convinced a number of people that he was behind it. We don’t have Satoshi doing that.

We confront Satoshi who we make a strong case for in this film, and I think their reaction is in some ways more telling than even the evidence itself. So I don’t think my confidence level is as important as what the audience takes away when they see the evidence for themselves.”

The film also delves into the qualifications of the Bitcoin creator as a possible self-learner, with Hoback consulting professional C++ coders to assess the code.

“Something I kept going back to is that the original code didn’t look like it was made by a professional developer. And I’m sure people would debate that. And I had professional C++ coders review the code, review the code of the suspects and make sure, you know, they were someone who could have written this.”

Finally, Hoback speculated on why Peter Todd might have agreed to be interviewed for the film.

“I think there’s there’s a psychology to these individuals who have done something that has a massive impact in the world — create these massive global movements — and they’re harboring the secret. And imagine if you were harboring that secret. Would you want some credit for it? And would you at some point maybe believe: Hey, I’ve gotten away with it this long. Going on camera and talking to these guys it’ll probably be even better cover. Who would believe that Satoshi would actually go on camera?”

The film’s findings and theories are certainly intriguing and have sparked discussions within the crypto community. However, it’s crucial to remember that without an explicit confession or irrefutable evidence, the true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto remains a mystery.