Crypto attorney James Murphy believes the government knows Satoshi’s true identity
A lawsuit has been filed against the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by crypto attorney James Murphy, who is demanding records that could reveal whether the agency knows the identity of Bitcoin’s creator, Satoshi Nakamoto. The case hinges on comments made in 2019 by DHS Special Agent Rana Saoud, who claimed during a conference that federal agents had met with four individuals allegedly involved in the development of Bitcoin.
The Great Mystery of the 21st Century–Who is Bitcoin Creator “Satoshi Nakamoto?”
The United States Government claims to know the answer–but isn’t talking.
So, today I sued the U.S. Government to find out exactly what it knows.
🧵👇
— MetaLawMan (@MetaLawMan) April 7, 2025
Murphy’s legal action is based on the Freedom of Information Act, which allows citizens to request access to government documents. He’s asking for emails, notes, and any documentation related to that supposed meeting. According to Murphy, if the interview happened as the agent described, there should be a clear record of it.
He made it clear that he’s not interested in speculation or launching a personal investigation. He’s not hiring private detectives or trying to track down Nakamoto on his own. Instead, he wants the government to confirm whether it actually holds any credible information about Bitcoin’s origins. If it does, he believes that information should be made public—unless there’s a valid national security reason to keep it private.
Murphy acknowledged the chance that DHS agents may have met with people connected to Bitcoin who weren’t actually its creators. He admits there’s a real possibility of confusion or misinformation, but believes the only way to settle it is through transparency.
Some in the crypto space have expressed concern that revealing Nakamoto’s identity could hurt Bitcoin’s decentralized image. Others argue it might help by removing the mystery that surrounds its beginning. Murphy believes that disclosing the truth, if it exists, won’t threaten the technology. Since Bitcoin is open-source and community-driven, he says the identity of its creator has little effect on how the system works today.
