Is Satoshi Nakamoto an undercover agent for the CIA? American conservatives "rarely" expose being besieged by the crypto world.

American conservative commentator Tucker Carlson has come under heavy criticism for implying that Bitcoin's anonymous creator Satoshi Nakamoto may have ties to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and Bitcoin supporters and enthusiasts quickly expressed their dissatisfaction with Carlson's remarks.

Tucker Carlson's Satoshi Nakamoto CIA conspiracy theory ignites controversy

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The true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto remains a mystery to this day. Various entities have been considered as the creators of Bitcoin, but no individual or group has been definitively confirmed. Carlson made the above statements at a recent Turning Point USA event, where he presented conspiracy theories that have long existed in the cryptocurrency world. He suggested that Satoshi Nakamoto may have connections to U.S. intelligence agencies, and Bitcoin could be a scam controlled by a group of financial beneficiaries.

He refers to those who receive all the bonuses and the politicians they control, and then use these bonuses to further control American society. The unknown identity of Satoshi Nakamoto makes Carlson hesitant to invest in Bitcoin. He stated that he is cautious about investing in a cryptocurrency founded by an anonymous creator who holds billions of dollars in idle Bitcoins.

He said: “I try to limit myself to things I understand, and no one can explain to me who Satoshi Nakamoto is—the creator of Bitcoin, this mysterious person is clearly deceased, but no one knows who he is.” This media icon said he “grew up in Washington, D.C., mainly in a government family, so I guess it was the CIA. Although unconfirmed, you let me invest in an organization with a mysterious founder who has billions of dollars in dormant Bitcoins. What is that?”

Summarizing his views, he stated that he is more like a gold buyer. Interestingly, gold has recently consolidated its leading position as the world's largest reserve asset amid rising global economic uncertainty. Gold reached a historic high of $4,381 per ounce in 2025, becoming the hedge of choice for many conservative investors. Carlson, as a conservative commentator, aligns his preference for gold with the overall investment tendencies of this group.

Carlson's remarks are not entirely unfounded. There are indeed historical traces of the CIA's connection with cryptographic technology. In the 1990s, the U.S. government attempted to restrict the export of strong cryptographic technology, viewing it as a military weapon. The NSA (National Security Agency) designed the SHA-256 encryption algorithm used by Bitcoin. Moreover, the CIA has always maintained a keen interest in technologies that can bypass financial surveillance. These facts provide fertile ground for conspiracy theories, but do not constitute direct evidence that Satoshi Nakamoto is a CIA agent.

Bitcoin PI Strikes Back: Open Source Code Makes Creator's Identity Irrelevant

Many Bitcoin enthusiasts rebutted Carlson's comments, emphasizing that the open-source and trustless nature of Bitcoin makes the identity of its creator irrelevant. Strike CEO Jack Mallers believes Carlson lacks an understanding of Bitcoin. He stated on Twitter that if someone thinks knowing the creator of Bitcoin is important, then they don't understand Bitcoin at all.

Mallers' rebuttal captures the core value proposition of Bitcoin. All of Bitcoin's code is open-source, allowing anyone to inspect, verify, and audit it. Since 2009, thousands of cryptographers, developers, and security researchers around the world have reviewed Bitcoin's code, and if there were any backdoors or malicious functions, they would have been discovered long ago. This level of transparency is something that traditional financial systems cannot provide.

Similarly, TFTC founder Marty Bent stated that it doesn't matter whether Bitcoin was created by the CIA or any other entity. He emphasized that what is important is that anyone motivated and capable can audit the code to determine if it operates as intended. Bent's viewpoint represents the mainstream position of the Bitcoin community: trusting mathematics and cryptography rather than people or institutions.

The “trustless” characteristic is precisely what makes Bitcoin revolutionary. In traditional financial systems, users must trust intermediaries such as banks, governments, and central banks. However, in the Bitcoin system, trust is replaced by mathematical proof. No matter who Satoshi Nakamoto is, he cannot change the rules of Bitcoin's operation, as these rules are maintained collectively by all nodes in the network. Even if Satoshi holds about 1.1 million Bitcoins (approximately 110 billion USD at current prices), he cannot manipulate the protocol itself with these tokens.

Four Guarantees of Bitcoin's Open Source Characteristics:

The code is fully open: Anyone can view the complete code of Bitcoin on GitHub.

Global Audit: Thousands of experts continuously review the code, leaving no room for backdoors.

Decentralized operation: No single entity can control the network, including the founder.

Mathematical Guarantee: The rules of the protocol are guaranteed by cryptography and cannot be tampered with.

This architectural design makes Satoshi Nakamoto's identity technically irrelevant. Even if Satoshi Nakamoto were a CIA agent, he would not be able to manipulate Bitcoin without being discovered. This is exactly why Bitcoin enthusiasts are angry about Carlson's remarks: his questioning demonstrates ignorance of the fundamental principles of Bitcoin.

The Mystery of Satoshi Nakamoto's Identity and Its Impact on Bitcoin's Value

The journey to find Satoshi Nakamoto is not over yet. So far, several entities have been labeled as the anonymous Bitcoin creator, but no verified groups or individuals have successfully revealed his identity. Carlson believes in one of the oldest conspiracy theories in the cryptocurrency space, while the Bitcoin community insists that this mystery is not only harmless but even beneficial.

The anonymity of Satoshi Nakamoto has multiple positive impacts on Bitcoin. First, it ensures that Bitcoin has no centralized leader or spokesperson, avoiding personality cults and reliance on authority. If Satoshi Nakamoto were a public figure, his statements and actions could be interpreted as “official guidance” for Bitcoin, which would undermine the spirit of decentralization. Second, anonymity protects Satoshi Nakamoto from government repression or attempts at coercion by interest groups. If his identity were revealed, he might face legal lawsuits, tax investigations, or even personal threats.

Third, the fate of the approximately 1.1 million Bitcoins held by Satoshi Nakamoto is closely related to his identity. If he has passed away and the private keys are permanently lost, these Bitcoins will never circulate, effectively reducing the valid supply of Bitcoin. If his identity is revealed and he is still alive, these Bitcoins may face the risk of being forcibly sold or distributed, which would have a catastrophic impact on the market. Therefore, maintaining the mystery may be more beneficial for the price stability of Bitcoin.

Carlson's preference for gold reflects the investment philosophy of traditional conservatives: a preference for tangible, historically established, and widely recognized assets. This mindset is extremely common among older generations of investors, who are skeptical of digital native assets. However, Bitcoin enthusiasts believe that this mindset will miss out on the financial revolution. As Mallers and Bent emphasize, understanding Bitcoin requires going beyond a focus on the founder to understand the technical characteristics and economic model of the protocol itself.

The deeper significance of this debate lies in its revelation of the different understandings of “trust” across generations and ideologies. The traditional thinking represented by Carlson believes that trust must be built on an understanding of people or institutions. The Bitcoin PI, on the other hand, believes that trust should be established on verifiable mathematics and transparent code. This cognitive gap exists not only between Carlson and the Bitcoin community, but also between the entire traditional financial world and the crypto world.

Regarding the various speculations about the identity of Satoshi Nakamoto, from Hal Finney, Nick Szabo to NSA cryptopunks, each theory has its supporters and evidence. However, as the Bitcoin community emphasizes, the significance of these speculations is far less than the operation of the Bitcoin protocol itself. Regardless of who Satoshi Nakamoto is, Bitcoin has already become an independently operating system with its own vitality and evolutionary path. Perhaps this is Satoshi's greatest legacy: creating a system that no longer requires a creator.