Filmmaker Cullen Hoback spent the last three years making ‘Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery’ which documents his journey to find out who created the first and most valuable cryptocurrency. CNN’s Jon Sarlin spoke with Hoback to find out why it’s important their identity does not remain a secret.

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Filmmaker Cullen Hoback has spent the past three years investigating the anonymity of Bitcoin's creator in his documentary, "Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery." The film delves into the enigma of Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous figure credited with inventing the first and most valuable cryptocurrency. Bitcoin, having launched in 2009, has since become a significant component of the global financial system, its value peaking at over $1 trillion.

The identity of Bitcoin's creator is considered pivotal due to the substantial wealth tied to the original Bitcoins owned by Satoshi. These coins are valued in the tens of billions of dollars, raising questions about the creator’s control and intentions toward the cryptocurrency's future. As Bitcoin becomes more ingrained in national infrastructures and retirement funds, understanding the motivations behind its inception is increasingly crucial.

In his film, Hoback presents the evidence supporting his theory on Nakamoto's possible identity. He engages directly with the suspected individual, offering a compelling narrative around Bitcoin's founder. While Hoback acknowledges past journalistic endeavors to reveal Nakamoto, he emphasizes that the reaction to the evidence, rather than his own certainty, is what viewers should pay attention to.



Documentary 'identifies' Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto

It's been 18 months kind of holding on to this, holding on to this news in secret. A new documentary is tackling perhaps the single greatest mystery of the internet age. Just who is Satoshi Nakamoto, the anonymous inventor of Bitcoin? I've been told Satoshi was a group of people. I have to be careful not to talk about that topic. The mystery behind Bitcoin's anonymous creator has only grown in recent years. First launching in 2009, the cryptocurrency has rocketed up and down in value. It's now worth more than $1 trillion. Why does this story matter? You know, if Bitcoin had petered out and wasn't being embraced by nation states, wasn't being incorporated into 401ks, it would be a different story. Bitcoin is increasingly becoming a major backbone of the financial system. It's not going anywhere. Part of the allure of the Satoshi mystery are the original Bitcoins that Satoshi supposedly controls. They're worth tens of billions of dollars. That is, if they still have access to their crypto wallet. I think that understanding if that person still holds the keys, what the ideas and intents of that person or people really are, is important given Bitcoin's prominence. I think it's important for the public to have a sense of who that might be, particularly if they're still involved. In the film, director Cullen Hoback builds the case for his Satoshi suspect, a person he ultimately challenges face to face. You're not the first journalist to try to uncover the identity of Satoshi. Many have come before. I'm thinking of a somewhat notorious Newsweek cover story that claimed to uncover Satoshi. How confident are you in your theory? We confront Satoshi, who we make a strong case for in the film, with that case. And I think their reaction is in some ways more telling than even the evidence itself. I don't think my confidence level is as important as what the audience takes away when they see the evidence for themselves.

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