Bitcoin Advocate Nic Carter Reaffirms Belief in NSA's Role in Bitcoin Creation
Summary:
Bitcoin advocate Nic Carter reinforces his belief in a speculatory theory that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) had a role in creating Bitcoin. The theory, revived by Iris Energy co-founder Daniel Roberts, is based on a 1996 paper prepared by NSA employees. In defending this 'Bitcoin lab leak hypothesis,' Carter dismisses the notion that the U.S. government secretly controls all Satoshi coins. Other crypto enthusiasts also weigh in on this theory, focusing on aspects relating to NSA involvement and the enigma of Bitcoin creator, Satoshi Nakamoto. The substantial truth behind these speculations remains elusive and highly debated.
In a recent stance, Bitcoin supporter Nic Carter reaffirmed his belief in the speculation that the United States National Security Agency (NSA) may have had some involvement in the development of Bitcoin (BTC). Iris Energy co-founder Daniel Roberts reignited this over-a-decade-old theory on Sept. 15, by sharing images from a 1996 study called “How to make a mint: The cryptography of anonymous electronic cash”. This paper, one of the earliest known discussions resembling a Bitcoin-like system, suggests anonymous transactions using public-key cryptography that keeps a user's identity hidden. Interestingly, it is noted in the report that it was compiled by NSA staff. Among its references was cryptography specialist Tatsuaki Okamoto, one of the originators of the Okamoto–Uchiyama public key cryptographic system in 1998.
On Sept. 21, Carter, who is affiliated with Castle Island Ventures, reiterated his agreement with this idea, opining he truly embraces the theory, which he refers to as the Bitcoin lab leak hypothesis. He views it as a previously closed internal Research and Development project that was deemed too valuable by a researcher to remain unused and was thus unveiled unofficially. This is not a new belief for Carter, as he expressed the same thoughts in 2020 linking Bitcoin to NSA as a potential financial bioweapon, and hinting it could be likened to a virus escaped from a lab.
Nonetheless, Carter clarifies that it does not mean that the U.S. government secretly controls all the Satoshi coins, which is a theory often associated with the Bitcoin / NSA conspiracy hypothesis suggesting a backdoor creation in the Bitcoin code by the NSA. In his interpretation of this fabricated narrative, the researcher acted without the NSA's approval and chose to discard the coins to maintain anonymity.
He added that there is a plethora of indirect evidence that supports this perspective. Meanwhile, some users pointed out the similarity between one of the cryptography scholars, Tatsuaki Okamoto, cited in the 1996 paper, and Satoshi Nakamoto, the enigmatic inventor of Bitcoin. Carter affirmed that the name might have been chosen as a reference for Satoshi, but it is not a vital element of this hypothetical scenario.
Furthermore, Matthew Pines, director of Intelligence at cybersecurity firm Krebs Stamos, opines that it was probably a blend of NSA crypto fans and cipher punk fans, hinting at the possibility of close links between Satoshi and the NSA. However, Pines doubts that Bitcoin or its white paper received any official approval. Raoul Pal, ex-executive of Goldman Sachs, also stated his belief earlier this year that the US and UK governments, namely the NSA and the GCHQ, the two global cryptography hubs, invented it.
Cointelegraph’s in-depth exploration of the conspiracy theory in August featured an interview with Jeff Man, former NSA cryptanalyst. He opines that while the NSA creating Bitcoin for intelligence collection about its adversaries seems possible, it is highly unlikely. However, Man believes that the truth about the genesis of the world's leading digital asset may never be unveiled until it becomes irrelevant.
Published At
9/22/2023 5:18:33 AM
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