Canadian Bitcoin developer Peter Todd has sparked a new debate over the identity of Bitcoin’s creator, Satoshi Nakamoto. He posted on
Todd made the remarks while criticizing the UK’s proposed restrictions on social media use for children under 16. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government is considering introducing rules modeled on Australian law, with measures that could limit access to platforms including X, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
His comment that he was “trying to invent Bitcoin” quickly caught the attention of the crypto community, with many interpreting it as a claim that he played a central role in the creation of the cryptocurrency.
I started using social media when I was 12, talking about programming and computers with technically-minded adults.
…And I was using social media at 15 to talk to Adam Back and Hal Finny while trying to invent Bitcoin. The UK, Australia and Canada all want to ban it.
— Peter Todd (@peterktodd) June 17, 2026
Posting on social media triggers negative reactions
Several users mocked Todd’s comments and questioned whether a teenager could have contributed to such a revolutionary idea. Some called this statement exaggerated, while others argued that social media was not essential to technological innovation.
Software developer Mario Figueiredo disputed Todd’s recollection, arguing that many advances occurred long before online platforms became common and that limiting children’s exposure to social media would not prevent future innovation.
Adam returns to previous discussions
Blockstream founder Adam Back weighed in to clarify the context of Todd’s statement. Back said there had been discussions about decentralized proof-of-work currencies long before Bitcoin appeared in 2009.
He shared recordings from old Bluesky and Cypherpunk mailing lists that included conversations involving Todd and Hal Finney. A post from March 2001 showed Todd discussing how hashcash could become a currency and describing the challenge of creating a decentralized database that could prevent double spending.
Other conversations focused on peer-to-peer systems and decentralized network architecture. Back argued that Todd’s remarks should be taken as references to attempts to build Bitcoin-like systems rather than as proof that he invented Bitcoin itself.
The Satoshi theory returns
Speculation about Todd’s identity is not new. In 2024, the HBO documentary “Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery” suggested that Todd could be Satoshi Nakamoto. Filmmaker Cullen Hoback pointed to online posts and Todd’s history within the Bitcoin community as proof.
Todd rejected the theory and called it absurd. He said he wasn’t Satoshi and even joked that his reaction to reading the Bitcoin white paper was frustrating that he hadn’t thought of the idea in the first place.
The mystery surrounding the creator of Bitcoin continues
The identity of Satoshi Nakamoto remains one of the biggest unanswered questions in technology. Over the years, several figures have been cited as possible candidates, including Dorian Nakamoto, Craig Wright, Elon Musk and Adam Back.
Earlier this year, Back himself denied allegations made in a New York Times investigation that attempted to link him to Satoshi. He argued that the similarities between his writings and Satoshi’s work were coincidences and argued that keeping Bitcoin’s creator anonymous benefits the network.
Related: Bitcoin Community Continues Search for Satoshi Nakamoto Despite Latest Documentary
