New ‘Satoshi Nakamoto’ emerges: Meet man who declares himself to be Bitcoin founder but fails to...

A recent event in London added yet another twist to the ongoing mystery of Bitcoin’s creator, Satoshi Nakamoto. On October 31, a man named Stephen Mollah claimed to be the real Nakamoto, presenting himself as the true inventor of Bitcoin to an audience of journalists at a private club in London. Mollah’s eccentric style included colorful attire and a long grey beard, which matched his flamboyant claims.

BBC News reporter Joe Tidy attended the event and noted that each journalist was asked to pay 500 pound for the opportunity to participate and ask questions. Tidy shared updates about the unusual event, saying, “A man called Stephen Mollah has taken to the stage. He claims to be Satoshi Nakamoto – the mystery inventor of Bitcoin. He’s claimed this before and is currently in a legal dispute about it. He will now provide evidence, he says.”

The event began with a peculiar presentation by Mollah and event organizer Charles Anderson. Anderson delivered a monologue detailing some of his alleged inventions, setting an unusual tone before Mollah took the stage 40 minutes later. Describing himself as a “businessperson and an economic and monetary scientist,” Mollah claimed not only to be the creator of Bitcoin but also the inventor of the Twitter (now X) logo, the Eurobrand, and even the ChatGPT protocol.

Mollah attempted to substantiate his claim by presenting screenshots of Nakamoto’s posts on a Bitcoin forum from around 16 years ago, though attendees noted that these images could easily be fabricated. He asserted that the posts were timestamped and backed by paper copies as proof. However, skepticism grew when he was asked to perform a live transfer from the Genesis Bitcoin wallet – one of the earliest wallets linked to Nakamoto. Mollah claimed he couldn’t access the funds, as the keys to the wallet were divided into eight parts and distributed across eight computers globally. He further mentioned facing threats from groups attempting to hack his devices to access the alleged fortune.

Despite these bold assertions, Mollah’s presentation didn’t convince many. The lack of solid proof combined with an inability to access the Genesis wallet left his claim unsubstantiated, leading to widespread skepticism. Online, reactions to Mollah’s appearance ranged from humor to criticism, with netizens quick to note he was only the latest in a series of individuals claiming to be Nakamoto. Australian computer scientist Craig Wright previously asserted he was Nakamoto, though England’s High Court ruled against him.

Currently, Mollah and Anderson are embroiled in legal trouble over this claim. According to sources, they face a private prosecution by Dlmit Dohil, who alleges that Mollah falsely presented himself as Nakamoto, risking Dohil’s financial security. Both Mollah and Anderson have pleaded not guilty to fraud by false representation. They are currently out on bail, with the trial scheduled for November 3 next year.

(With information from BBC News and other agencies)