American cryptographer and cypherpunk Leonard Harris “Len” Sassaman has captured the attention of the cryptocurrency world, with speculations rising that he could be revealed as the creator of Bitcoin in an upcoming HBO documentary. Punters on Polymarket are increasingly betting on the late computer scientist as the elusive figure behind Bitcoin’s creation.
On October 3, filmmaker Cullen Hoback announced a forthcoming HBO documentary titled “Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery.” Hoback teased the film on social media platform X, hinting that he was investigating another individual who had mysteriously disappeared. This suggestion has led many to believe Hoback is attempting to uncover the identity of Bitcoin’s enigmatic inventor, Satoshi Nakamoto.
Hoback is known for his HBO series “Q: Into the Storm,” where he claimed to have unmasked individuals involved in the QAnon conspiracy theory—a controversial narrative linking former President Donald Trump to secretive battles against Hollywood-based satanic networks.
Although the documentary’s trailer does not explicitly reveal who the filmmakers suspect is Nakamoto, Polymarket users have quickly started betting on potential candidates. As of October 5, 44.5% of bettors are backing Sassaman, with other prominent figures such as Hal Finney, Adam Back, Nick Szabo, and Paul Le Roux also among the favorites.
Who Was Len Sassaman?
Born in Pennsylvania, Sassaman was a cryptography prodigy who attended private school in his home state. In his late teens, he moved to San Francisco, where he became deeply involved with the cypherpunk movement, a community focused on advancing privacy through technology.
Sassaman later studied under David Chaum, a pioneering cryptographer often called the “godfather of crypto.” He contributed to projects like Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) and its successor, GNU Privacy Guard. Alongside his wife, fellow computer scientist Meredith Patterson, Sassaman co-founded the SaaS startup Osogato.
Despite his professional achievements, Sassaman struggled with depression from a young age. Sadly, on July 3, 2011, he took his own life at the age of 31. Following his death, a tribute to him was embedded in Block 138725 of the Bitcoin blockchain, describing him as “a friend, a kind soul and a devious schemer.”
Could Len Sassaman Be Satoshi Nakamoto?
Speculation around Sassaman possibly being Nakamoto has been fueled by the timing of his death and Nakamoto’s last known communication. On April 23, 2011, about two months before Sassaman’s passing, Nakamoto sent what would be his final email to the Bitcoin community, stating he had moved on to other projects. After this message, Nakamoto vanished without further explanation.
Another factor contributing to this theory is Sassaman’s connection with Hal Finney, a prominent figure in Bitcoin’s early development and another candidate for being Nakamoto. According to a blog post by Worlds founder Evan Hatch, Sassaman and Finney worked together on PGP while at Network Associates, an IT service provider.
Finney was closely involved with Bitcoin’s early days, being the first to contribute code, run a node, and even receive the first Bitcoin transaction from Nakamoto. Both Finney and Sassaman were experts in remailer technology, a system some believe laid the groundwork for Bitcoin. Blockstream CEO Adam Back has even speculated that Nakamoto may have been a remailer developer.
Sassaman’s Wife Denies He Was Nakamoto
Despite the growing bets on Polymarket and public intrigue, Sassaman’s widow, Meredith Patterson, has dismissed the idea that her late husband could have been behind Bitcoin’s creation. While many are eager to see what the HBO documentary might reveal, those closest to Sassaman do not believe he was Satoshi Nakamoto.
It's a very well-researched and respectful article, but to the best of my knowledge, Len was not Satoshi. Worth reading for the history and the conclusions about mental health, though. https://t.co/am4EG57YvC
— Meredith L. Patterson 💉💉 (@maradydd) February 23, 2021