Does the US government know who Satoshi Nakamoto is? DHS charged with confidentiality

The identity of Satoshi Nakamoto, the mysterious creator of Bitcoin, remains one of the biggest riddles in the crypto world. Yet his name appears again – this time in the heart of a lawsuit in the United States.

Lawyer James Murphy complains the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for withholding information that may reveal the true identity of Nakamoto.

DHS would have interviewed Satoshi

The lawsuit started on 12 February, when lawyer James Murphy submitted a request on the basis of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). In it he asked for inspection of all the documents that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may have on Satoshi Nakamoto. Because the request remained unanswered, Murphy decided to go to the court in Washington DC on 7 April.

The reason for his request was a striking statement by DHS-Special Agent Rana Saoud during a presentation in 2019. She then claimed that the DHS “knows the identity of Satoshi Nakamoto” and even conducted an interview with him and three other stakeholders. Saoud was quoted at the time with the words:

“He not only created this. There were three others. And they sat down with them, spoke with them to understand how it works and what their motivation was.”

Calls for transparency

Murphy states that the public is entitled to clarity, especially now that more and more governments are taking steps towards Bitcoin’s adoption. In his indictment, he points to recent legislative initiatives in the US: the Senate discusses a proposal to set up a national Bitcoin reserve, and consider about twenty American states to invest public resources in Bitcoin.

According to Murphy, openness about Nakamot’s identity is essential in the light of these developments. So far, however, the DHS has not released documents or statements about the alleged interview. It is also unclear whether the FOIA request has been officially processed. Murphy now asks the judge to force the ministry to complete transparency.

Whether this lawsuit will actually lead to the unveiling of Nakam photos identity remains uncertain for the time being – but the pressure on the DHS is increasing.