Former Ripple CTO on the Identity of Satoshi: “Finally, We Have the Answer”

David Schwartz, former Ripple CTO, reacts to a New York Times article on the identity of Satoshi, suggesting that the piece has provided an answer.

A recent opinion piece from The New York Times claims it may have uncovered the true identity of Bitcoin’s creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, pointing to Blockstream’s Adam Back. Reacting, Ripple’s David Schwartz suggested that they may have finally solved the mystery.

Key Points

• A New York Times investigation identified Adam Back as the strongest candidate for Satoshi Nakamoto.
• The report links Back to Bitcoin through his creation of Hashcash in 1997, shared Cypherpunk roots, and strong linguistic similarities.
• Ripple’s CTO Emeritus, David Schwartz, reacted to the report with a remark suggesting the mystery was solved.
• Back denies the claims, insisting that Satoshi’s anonymity is good for Bitcoin.

David Schwartz Responds to NYT Article on Satoshi’s Identity 

The NYT article mentions Adam Back, a British cryptographer and founder of Blockstream, as the most likely person behind the name. Back started Blockstream in 2014, and the report presents him as someone whose background matches what is known about Bitcoin’s origins.

After the article was published, David Schwartz, Ripple’s CTO Emeritus, reacted by suggesting that the question of Satoshi’s identity had finally been settled. “Finally, we have the definitive answer,” he said, suggesting that this may have ended the long-running debate. 

Finally we have the definitive answer that will certainly end the debate forever. https://t.co/VceyJjip0U

— David ‘JoelKatz’ Schwartz (@JoelKatz) April 8, 2026

However, some members of the XRP community chose not to take his words at face value, claiming he was merely being sarcastic. This rekindled claims that Schwartz himself was Satoshi. One well-known community figure, XRPCryptowolf, argued that Schwartz had been part of a group linked to the NSA that created Bitcoin.

The Case for Adam Back

The NYT investigation came out on April 8 after 18 months of work led by journalist John Carreyrou, with support from Dylan Freedman. Notably, the team reviewed old Cypherpunk emails, forum posts, and mailing lists, and also used writing-style analysis to compare texts. 

The article builds its case for Adam Back using several points. First, Back created Hashcash in 1997, a proof-of-work system that Bitcoin later referenced in its whitepaper. He also explored ideas like combining Hashcash with concepts such as b-money, and he discussed digital cash systems that focus on privacy and reduce control from governments.

The report also looked at writing patterns using AI tools. It found that Back shared 67 out of 325 unique hyphenation patterns seen in Satoshi’s writing. Other similarities included the use of British spellings like “optimise” and “cheque,” and switching between “e-mail” and “email.” Across different methods, Back showed the closest match to Satoshi’s writing style.

The article also reviewed his behavior over time. It noted his strong knowledge of distributed systems, public-key cryptography, and the same programming language used by Satoshi. It also pointed out that he stayed mostly quiet in Bitcoin forums while Satoshi was active, then became more visible later. The report also mentioned early email exchanges between Back and Satoshi.

Back, who holds a doctorate in distributed computer systems, has denied the claims. He said his early work on digital cash, dating back to around 1992, overlaps with Bitcoin because of shared ideas within the Cypherpunk community. He also supports Satoshi’s decision to remain anonymous, saying it helps Bitcoin stay neutral.

Origins of the Schwartz-Satoshi Theory

Meanwhile, the link between Schwartz and Satoshi, rekindled by his recent comment on the NYT article, mainly comes from his technical background. Notably, the former Ripple CTO has deep knowledge of cryptography, distributed systems, and peer-to-peer networks, which are all important parts of Bitcoin’s design.

His past work as an NSA contractor has also fueled these claims. This has led to theories suggesting that agencies like the NSA or CIA could have been involved in creating Bitcoin. Some have also mentioned similarities in writing style between Schwartz and Satoshi, based on informal analyses of past writings and technical discussions.

Schwartz has addressed these claims many times and has always denied them. According to him, while he has the skills needed to create something like Bitcoin, this does not mean he actually did.

He has also explained that the timeline does not match. According to him, he only learned about Bitcoin in 2011, after Satoshi had already stepped away. In May 2024, he even shared a meme or image that he described as clear proof that he is not Satoshi.