An HBO documentary titled "Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery" seeks to unveil new insights about Bitcoin's mysterious creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, fueling speculation across social media about potential revelations regarding the inventor of the digital asset.

The documentary, directed by Cullen Hoback and executive produced by Adam McKay of The Big Short, explores whether Bitcoin was developed by an individual or a group, while delving into the broader economic impact of the asset’s creation.

A trailer released on Thursday highlights interviews with Adam Back, a British cryptographer and cypherpunk who was among the first to exchange emails with Nakamoto in 2009. 

Others featured in the trailer include Len Sassaman, an American cryptographer; Samson Mow, CEO of JAN3; Hereditary Prince Filip Karađorđević of Serbia and Yugoslavia; early Bitcoin investor Roger Ver; Ricardo Salinas Pliego, founder and chairman of Grupo Salinas; and Bitcoin Core developer Peter Todd.

Although Back has often been speculated to be Nakamoto, he has consistently denied these claims, and emails between him and Nakamoto, released earlier this year, appear to support his statements.

On X, Bitcoiners are discussing the potential for the documentary to reveal Nakamoto’s identity. 

Alex Thorn, head of research at Galaxy, hinted that the documentary may suggest Sassaman, who was involved in the cypherpunk mailing list where Bitcoin was first announced, as a possible candidate.

Sassaman passed away in July 2011 and has been considered by some as a potential contender for Nakamoto.

Earlier today in a Lugano Plan B Spaces on X, Mow and Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino (also featured in the documentary) shared additional insights about the making of the documentary.

He revealed that it was filmed over a two-year period, with likely thousands of hours of footage recorded. 

Originally, the project was intended to be a series but was later changed to a feature film format. 

Due to this shift, many scenes could have been cut, leaving viewers curious to see what ultimately made it into the final version.

Polymarket later posted a poll showing who is most likely to be Nakamoto, with Len Sassaman at 51%, Hal Finney at 12%, and Nick Szabo at 4%.

Interestingly, Mow commented that the list should be longer, possibly indicating that the real Nakamoto is not even listed.

Mow also stated on X that regardless of who Nakamoto is, the film offers an excellent opportunity to educate a broader audience about Bitcoin.

The online conversation has centered around whether the documentary will truly reveal Nakamoto’s identity, and if so, whether they are still alive. 

Nakamoto’s wallets, containing around 1.1 million Bitcoin, are currently valued at approximately $67 billion.

The documentary is set to premiere on HBO this Sunday, October 8th, at 9 PM ET, and will be available to watch on TV via HBO or streaming on Max.

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