Bitcoin

Who is Len Sassaman, and why does HBO believe he might be Satoshi Nakamoto?

The late computer scientist and advocate for privacy, Len Sassaman, has unexpectedly captured public attention as bettors speculate on the forthcoming HBO documentary that claims to unveil the true identity of Bitcoin’s creator.

Regardless of whether he truly was Satoshi Nakamoto, Sassaman was undeniably a fascinating figure.

A Troubled Prodigy

Details about Leonard Harris Sassaman’s early years are limited. He attended a prestigious private school in Pennsylvania and was recognized as a cryptography prodigy, as noted in various accounts.

In his late teens, Sassaman made his way to San Francisco, where he became involved with the cypherpunks—a group of computer privacy enthusiasts who sparked a movement in the late 1980s. He later studied under David Chaum, the inventor of blockchain technology.

Sassaman contributed to projects like Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) and its successor, the GNU Privacy Guard. Together with his wife, fellow computer scientist Meredith Patterson, he co-founded the SaaS company Osogato.

At the time of his tragic death by suicide on July 3, 2011, at the age of 31, Sassaman was pursuing a doctorate in electrical engineering at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium. A tribute to him was encoded in Block 138725 of the Bitcoin blockchain.

Len “Satoshi Nakamoto” Sassaman?

Sassaman and Patterson tied the knot in 2006 and remained married until his untimely passing. Patterson has publicly stated that she does not believe her husband was Satoshi Nakamoto.

However, there exists circumstantial evidence that lends credibility to the theory that Sassaman may have been Nakamoto. He left behind a substantial body of work, including publications and conference presentations, which could easily convince a layperson of his capability to create Bitcoin. Sassaman was a member of the International Financial Cryptography Association and frequently spoke on topics related to financial cryptography.

Additionally, linguistic analyses suggest that Sassaman might have authored the Bitcoin white paper. Notably, Nakamoto ceased communication just two months before Sassaman’s death.