Martin Shkreli claims that Paul Le Roux, a developer turned gangster, is the real Satoshi Nakamoto.
If this is true, it means that Bitcoin was created to launder money for illegal operations.
Developers Greg Maxwell and Peter Wuille opposed Martin’s theory.
For the time being, big personalities in the industry, such as Elon Musk and Craig Wright, have been the subject of repeated rumours. However, some people believe that Bitcoin's founder is hiding a darker past.
Martin Shkreli, a former American hedge fund manager, has asserted that he is familiar with Satoshi Nakamoto and his true identity. Martin revealed in a new Substack article that Paul Le Roux, a former programmer and former criminal cartel head, is the guy responsible for developing the first blockchain-based cryptocurrency.
Interestingly, Paul Le Roux was thought to be Satoshi Nakamoto's real identity for a very long time. According to a 2019 Wired article, there is significant evidence to suspect that Bitcoin was developed by a criminal mastermind, and Roux could very well be behind it.
However, the developer turned “Big Banana” is currently in jail after he was busted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in a sting operation in 2012. Later, Paul’s sentence was reduced because of his cooperation with the DEA.
According to the Substrack article, Martin Shkreli claims to have decoded the initial Bitcoin transfer made to the late Hal Finney. Finney was an early bitcoin contributor who received the first bitcoin transaction from Satoshi Nakamoto. He was also thought to be the developer's identity, however, this theory was later dismissed by many.
Martin's post drew the attention of the Crypto community. A senior Bitcoin Core engineer, Peter Wuille, argued that the entire post does not confirm Satoshi Nakamoto's identity. Rather, it suggests that someone else had access to Finney's wallet key.
On the other side, Greg Maxwell, another well-known developer, noted that the address was actively sending transactions long after his death as well which suggests that someone could hold the wallet's key.
This suggests that Martin's allegations are insufficient to establish the true identity of the Bitcoin founder. However, if Martin's assertions were true, it would imply that Bitcoin was created as a tool for money laundering to support criminal empires.
Another candidate for this theory remains an Australian computer scientist, Craig Wright. He also officially acknowledged that he is the founder of Bitcoin. However, much of the media and the crypto community believe that his statements are bogus.
Other contenders in this theory include Nick Sabzo, Dorian Nakamoto, and others. There are currently no clues as to the identity or whereabouts of the mysterious founder of Bitcoin. As a result, the dispute rages on, and Satoshi Nakamoto's identity remains unknown.
What are your thoughts on Martin's claims about Satoshi Nakamoto's identity? Do you think the founder of Bitcoin is still alive or dead? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
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