A press conference held today, October 31, at London’s Frontline Club purported to unveil the true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin. Stephen Mollah, a British businessman currently embroiled in a legal dispute over the same claim, stepped forward as the man behind the pseudonym.
Is Stephen Mollah The Bitcoin Inventor?
On October 30, a press release titled “Satoshi Nakamoto to Reveal Legal Identity on 31 October 2024” circulated widely. The release announced a live press conference scheduled for 11:30 AM (London time) at the Frontline Club in Paddington, London. It proclaimed:
“After over a decade of speculation and mystery, the world will finally learn the true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto, the elusive inventor of Bitcoin and the foundational blockchain technology. On this momentous occasion, Nakamoto will reveal his legal identity in a live press conference, marking a historic event in the cryptocurrency landscape.”
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The supposed Satoshi Nakamoto was quoted as saying: “The time has come for me to officially reveal my identity. I am facing significant legal challenges, and I believe the world deserves the truth.”
Joe Tidy, a correspondent for BBC News, attended the event and provided live updates via X. His observations paint a picture of a disorganized and contentious gathering: “I’m at a London event billed as the ‘unveiling of the true legal identity of Bitcoin inventor Satoshi Nakamoto’. An odd set up to the press conference as the organiser asked me to pay £500 to attend and appear on stage to ask questions of the billionaire mystery man.”
Charles Anderson, the event organizer, took the stage first, claiming he had only two hours of sleep in 48 hours due to the overwhelming response to the announcement. Anderson made bold assertions about his own achievements, stating he had invented “energy recovery systems” in cars and the television show “Britain’s Got Talent.”
The proceedings took a turn when a representative from the Frontline Club interrupted to clarify that the event was neither affiliated with nor endorsed by the club. This intervention led to at least one reporter walking out.
Amid technical difficulties—specifically, an inability to get their laptop working—Stephen Mollah appeared on stage. He declared himself to be Satoshi Nakamoto and promised to provide evidence supporting his claim. Tidy reported:
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“‘Satoshi’ and his organizer cannot get their laptop working so are doing the event offline for now. Mr Mollah is explaining his background and says he is an economic and monetary scientist. He says he previously tried to out himself as Satoshi in 2016 but ‘someone stopped him’ then again by speaking to the BBC’s Rory Cellan-Jones who interviewed him but didn’t publish a story.”
Mollah’s claim is not without precedent. According to an October 10 report by the London Evening Standard, Mollah, 58, and Anderson, 67, are currently defendants in a private prosecution alleging fraud. They are accused of falsely representing Mollah as Satoshi Nakamoto and claiming he owned 165,000 Bitcoin held in Singapore—an amount worth billions of dollars.
The charge specifies that the men “dishonestly” asserted Mollah’s identity and ownership of the substantial Bitcoin holdings, intending to cause loss to or expose the alleged victim, Dalmit Dohil, to a risk of loss. Both Mollah and Anderson pleaded not guilty to a single charge of fraud by false representation at Inner London Crown Court. They were released on unconditional bail, with a trial date set for November 3, 2025.
Community Reactions
The Bitcoin community reacted swiftly and skeptically to the event. Many labeled Mollah as yet another “Faketoshi,” a term used to describe individuals falsely claiming to be Satoshi Nakamoto. Online forums and social media platforms were abuzz with criticism and disbelief.
One user commented: “Spoiler alert for the newest Faketoshi: Charles Anderson is the ‘journalist’ who is ‘exposing’ Stephen Mollah as the ‘true’ Satoshi. Charles Anderson is a liar, and Stephen Mollah is a fraud. There should be zero tolerance for vermin like this in polite society.” Another added: “Definitely one of the more crazy people claiming to be Satoshi lol.”
At press time, BTC traded $71,880.
Featured image from X @joetidy, chart from TradingView.com