A British computer scientist and entrepreneur has denied he is Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin, following a New York Times investigation claiming to have identified the cryptocurrency's founder.

According to BBC News, the individual rejected the Times' conclusion, though neither the BBC nor the Times has publicly named the person at the center of the claim. The denial comes shortly after the Times published its findings on April 8, 2026.

The identity of Satoshi Nakamoto remains one of technology's most enduring mysteries. The name appeared on Bitcoin's original 2008 white paper and early development communications before vanishing from public view in 2011. Nakamoto is believed to control roughly one million Bitcoin — currently worth tens of billions of dollars — that has never been moved.

A History of False Leads

This isn't the first time someone has been publicly identified as the Bitcoin creator. Australian computer scientist Craig Wright spent years claiming to be Nakamoto before a UK court ruled in 2024 that he was not. Journalist Leah McGrath Goodman identified California engineer Dorian Nakamoto in 2014, a claim he denied. Hal Finney, Len Sassaman, and Nick Szabo have all been subjects of speculation, with varying degrees of evidence.

The pattern is familiar: investigative journalism points to a candidate, the person denies involvement, and the mystery deepens. Without cryptographic proof — such as moving Bitcoin from Nakamoto's known wallets or signing a message with his private keys — definitive identification remains impossible.

For now, Satoshi Nakamoto's identity remains unknown, and this latest denial suggests it will stay that way.