In Search of Bitcoin's Father: Jameson Lopp Provides Multiple Pieces of Evidence Claiming Hal Finney is Not Satoshi Nakamoto

Jameson Lopp, co-founder of the Bitcoin custody company Casa, recently presented multiple pieces of evidence through a blog post, claiming that Hal Finney, a widely discussed early contributor to Bitcoin, was not Satoshi Nakamoto. However, he also acknowledged that the authenticity and credibility of some of the email evidence may be questioned and could be controversial.

Jameson Lopp: Hal Finney is Not Satoshi Nakamoto

The true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto has always been a subject of great interest, with numerous individuals claiming to be Satoshi and the public often focusing on other lesser-known figures.

Recently, a Twitter account named @satoshi, which has been inactive for 5 years, posted tweets again, sparking community discussions even though it is widely known that it is not Satoshi Nakamoto. Satoshi Nakamoto reappears on Twitter? Debunked: Account had been taken over long ago by an Australian

Over the years, there has been speculation that Hal Finney, one of the early contributors to the Bitcoin network, could potentially be Satoshi Nakamoto. Researcher Jameson Lopp expressed his opposition to this theory in an article on the 21st, providing multiple pieces of evidence:

Evidence One: Alibi

First, let's go back to the morning of April 18, 2009, at 8:00 AM when Hal Finney was preparing for a marathon race scheduled to last 78 minutes until 9:18 AM.

Normally, Finney would not have been able to use a computer during this time. However, based on email exchanges between Mike Hearn, one of the initial Bitcoin developers, and Satoshi Nakamoto, it was revealed that Satoshi Nakamoto sent an email to Finney 2 minutes before he finished the race.

Lopp also uploaded several photos, indicating that Finney did indeed participate in the race without seeking a replacement, and confirmed the accuracy of the time by looking up the IP address from which Hearn sent the email.

Evidence Two: Transaction Records

Next, Lopp cited blockchain data to support his argument.

Similarly, through the emails released by Hearn, it was shown that Satoshi Nakamoto sent a transaction of 32.5 bitcoins to Hearn during the race, approximately 55 minutes after Finney started the race, and Satoshi Nakamoto confirmed the transaction at that time on this transaction.

It is clear that Finney was running at that time and could not have executed this transaction.

Evidence Three: Health Issues

In addition, Lopp pointed out that a post by Finney's wife after attending the 2010 Singularity Summit in August revealed that, due to ALS, Finney could hardly type normally:

His speech became slow, quiet, and laborious, and his typing speed went from 120 WPM to slow finger tapping.

However, on August 14-15, 2010, Satoshi Nakamoto was still able to write code smoothly and posted a total of 17 articles on various forums.

Evidence Four: Inconsistent Coding Styles

Finally, Lopp compared Finney's "Reusable Proof of Work" code with the "Original Bitcoin Client" code, claiming that the differences in their coding styles were evident.

Lopp pointed out significant differences, including the use of tabs versus spaces and the way functions were named.

Controversies Remain

However, the evidence presented still faces scrutiny, including questions about the timeliness and authenticity of the emails provided by Mike Hearn, as well as the possibility that Finney may have been a member of the "Satoshi Nakamoto" group.

Lopp acknowledged that when Hearn released the email contents, there was indeed distrust from other developers due to differences in opinions within the Bitcoin community; it is normal for the motives and authenticity of these emails to be questioned.

Nevertheless, he believed that Hearn's emails were the most compelling evidence at present, but not the only evidence.

Furthermore, despite the speculation that Satoshi Nakamoto may not be a single individual, Lopp still maintains that Bitcoin's creation came from a single developer:

Having studied Satoshi Nakamoto for so long, I have yet to see any evidence suggesting that he is a group.