Key Takeaways
Stephen Mollah, under fraud allegations, professes to be Satoshi Nakamoto.
Mollah could not produce evidence to back his assertion of being the originator of Bitcoin.
Stephen Mollah, a British entrepreneur indicted for fraud in relation to his Satoshi Nakamoto claims, endeavored to affirm his identity as the inventor of Bitcoin in a press conference in London on October 31, as reported by Joe Tidy, a cyber reporter from BBC News who attended the event.
Author: Joe Tidy
However, Mollah’s effort to validate his claim was unsuccessful. As Tidy recounted, Mollah, who portrayed himself as an economist and monetary scientist, was unable to carry out a scheduled live demonstration due to laptop complications. He recalled previous attempts to unveil his identity, including a supposed interview with BBC’s Rory Cellan-Jones that never came to fruition.
Tidy documented that Mollah displayed “a series of easily fabricated screenshots” as proof of his identity. When questioned by journalists for more substantial evidence, such as transferring Bitcoin from the Genesis block or providing cryptographic signatures, Mollah affirmed he would do so in the forthcoming months.
Many attendees started to depart as Mollah struggled to uphold credibility, with one observer noting his noticeably anxious demeanor.
“Journalists (including myself) have interrupted Mr. Mollah’s lengthy backstory and requested him to display the pledged evidence. Been here nearly an hour and people are restless and increasingly impolite. Mr. Mollah’s cheek is twitching rapidly as he gazes down at a skeptical crowd,” Tidy penned.
The BitMEX Research team, who also attended the event, labeled Mollah “Faketoshi.” The entrepreneur reportedly professed to be the inventor of “the euro bond,” “the Twitter logo,” and “the ChatGPT protocol.”
The press conference, announced a day earlier by PR London Live, vowed to unveil Satoshi’s identity. As articulated in the press statement, “Satoshi” declared that “escalating legal pressures” compelled them to step forward.
Reports suggest that Mollah and the event’s organizer, Charles Anderson, were alleged to have falsely declared ownership of 165,000 Bitcoin supposedly stored in Singapore, intending to defraud an individual named Dalmit Dohil.
These individuals have pleaded not guilty to charges of fraud by false representation. Their trial is scheduled for November 3, 2025, following their release on unconditional bail.
In the end, both Mollah and Anderson failed to fulfill their commitments. The most conclusive method to authenticate Satoshi Nakamoto’s identity requires moving Bitcoin from recognized Satoshi addresses or providing cryptographic signatures linked to the original Bitcoin software, neither of which was exhibited at the event.
This has only amplified skepticism about Mollah’s claims and once again left the actual identity of Bitcoin’s creator cloaked in mystery.
