The search for the true identity of Bitcoin’s pseudonymous architect Satoshi Nakamoto continues with new revelations from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Dave Troy, a renowned investigative journalist, has shared insights from a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request he filed, which sought all documents related to Satoshi Nakamoto that the FBI maintained in its headquarters, field offices, legal attachés, and other archival facilities.
Does the FBI Know Who Developed Bitcoin?
The FOIA request, as described by Troy on the social media network X, specifically asked for “all documents relating to Satoshi Nakamoto” that fall under the FBI’s jurisdiction. This included documents that could classify Nakamoto as an individual, group, consortium, or government agency. The request emphasized the need for clarity on whether the FBI had information about Nakamotoeither under his pseudonym or under another real identity that could be connected to it.
“The purpose of my request is NOT to determine the identity of ‘Satoshi Nakamoto,’ but rather to request any and all records the Office may possess on the subject of ‘Satoshi Nakamoto’ as a subject. If the Office does not possess any records on the general subject of ‘Satoshi Nakamoto,’ either as a general subject or as a pseudonym for a person known to be deceased, please let me know,” Troy writes in the FOIA Request.
In the response Troy shared, the FBI characterizes Nakamoto as a “third-party individual.” This term is typically used by U.S. intelligence agencies when referring to foreign nationals, suggesting a deliberate ambiguity and indicating that the agency may possess relevant information but is choosing not to release it.
“FBI continues to insist that “Satoshi Nakomoto,” the apocryphal creator of Bitcoin, is a “third party,” an answer they typically give when asking about foreigners. This is *despite* clarifying and narrowing my request,” Troy notes via X.
He also raised concerns about X regarding the FBI’s interpretation of his request, noting, “This suggests that a) the FBI believes it knows the identity of ‘Satoshi Nakamoto,’ and will not confirm or deny that it has data, b) the FOIA office is confused and has not properly interpreted this very clearly written request.”
The FBI’s use of a “Glomar response,” which neither confirms nor denies the existence of data, adds to the mystery. This type of response is legally grounded in the precedent set by the U.S. Supreme Court, which allows agencies to avoid confirming the existence of data that, if it existed, would have significant implications for national security or privacy.
As early as August 13, Troy announced the FBI’s initial response to his investigation. On X, Troy also received a “Glomar response” to his inquiry about Satoshi Nakamoto, which neither confirmed nor denied whether the agency possessed data identifying the mysterious Bitcoin creator.
Notably, this is not an isolated incident of public attempts to identify Nakamoto through official channels. Motherboard staffer Daniel Oberhaus ran into similar obstacles in 2018 when he requested all internal emails containing Nakamoto’s name from both the FBI and CIA. Like Troy, Oberhaus received a Glomar response from the CIA stating that it could neither confirm nor deny the existence of the requested documents — a tactic that preserves secrecy while avoiding public disclosure of potentially sensitive information.
In another regard, Eric Balchunas, an ETF analyst for Bloomberg, said marked yesterday via X that all US spot Bitcoin ETFs now control approximately 921,540 BTC, approaches Nakamoto’s own estimated holdings, believed to be around 1.1 million BTC. “US spot bitcoin ETFs now hold 84% of the Bitcoin held by Satoshi, on track to hold more and take over the top spot by Halloween,” he noted.
At the time of writing, BTC was trading at $59,173.
Main image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com