A new documentary proposes that Bitcoin was created by a collaboration between late cypherpunks Hal Finney and Len Sassaman. The film, four years in the making, casts Finney as the primary coder and Sassaman as the theorist behind the Satoshi Nakamoto pseudonym. Prominent figures like Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong have called it the most thorough investigation yet, but critics point to timing and factual inconsistencies that challenge the core claim.
A new documentary argues Bitcoin was created by two minds, not one. The film directors, Tucker Tooley and Matthew Miele, build a case around Hal Finney and Len Sassaman after more than four years of research.
Finney is cast as the engineer, while Sassaman is framed as the thinker and writer. Their argument leans on linguistic clues and shared work, such as on PGP.
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong described the documentary as “the most thorough investigation to date.” Mark Cuban praised the film for presenting a well-thought-out narrative through its high-quality production.
However, early cryptographer Adam Back has challenged the theory’s timing. He stated Sassaman lived in Belgium during Bitcoin’s development, which doesn’t align with Satoshi’s posting times.
Back insists Finney was an early user, not a co-creator. The documentary provides new information but does not deliver a conclusive solution to Bitcoin’s enduring mystery.
