HBO Documentary Claims Peter Todd is Bitcoin Creator Satoshi Nakamoto, Sparking Meme Wars on Solana

A new HBO documentary, "Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery," has shocked the crypto community by naming Canadian software developer Peter Todd as the long-sought-after creator of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto.

The documentary, which premiered on Tuesday, builds its case on circumstantial evidence, including online forum posts and a particularly intriguing chat log message in which Todd claims to be the "world's leading expert on how to sacrifice your bitcoins... I've done one such sacrifice, and I did it by hand."

This statement, interpreted by the documentary filmmaker as an admission of destroying access to Satoshi Nakamoto's 1.1 million Bitcoin fortune, has further fueled speculation surrounding Todd's involvement in Bitcoin's origins. However, Todd has vehemently denied these allegations, dismissing them as "ludicrous" and asserting that the documentary maker is "grasping at straws."

The mystery of Satoshi Nakamoto's identity has been a source of endless fascination within the crypto world. Nakamoto's wallets, holding an estimated 1 million Bitcoin (worth roughly $62.4 billion at current prices), have remained dormant for years. Any movement of these funds could send ripples throughout the cryptocurrency market.

The HBO documentary has reignited the debate surrounding Satoshi Nakamoto's identity and triggered a meme coin frenzy on the Solana blockchain. Leading up to the documentary's release, a betting market speculating on who HBO would name Satoshi reached a staggering $30 million.

Leaked clips hinting at Peter Todd's involvement led to an explosion of meme coins named after potential candidates.

Sasha Coin, named after the cat of Len Sassaman, another individual suspected of being Satoshi, soared to a $49 million market cap before crashing 99% after the documentary aired.

Similarly, $PeterTodd, a meme coin created in response to the speculation, surged to a $12 million market cap but then declined 70% as the documentary failed to provide definitive proof linking Todd to Satoshi.

The meme coin craze didn't stop there. In response to Todd sarcastically tweeting, "To all the Solana meme coin degens spamming my mentions, I have one pet, and its name is your mom," another meme coin, $YOURMOM, was launched. This coin quickly reached a $7 million market cap with the largest onchain trading volume across all chains before dropping $1.7M at press time.

While the HBO documentary has brought Peter Todd to the forefront of the Satoshi Nakamoto debate, the true identity of Bitcoin's creator remains elusive. The documentary has, however, underscored the enduring intrigue surrounding Satoshi Nakamoto and the power of speculation to drive market activity, particularly within the volatile world of meme coins.