Image: Newsweek photo of Dorian Nakamoto, anonymized by Digital Trends
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Essentially, whatever your impression of Bitcoin was before the doxxing, the New Nakamoto confirmed it—which maybe should have been the first clue that Newsweek's story was too thin on details.Regardless, within hours, droves of reporters showed up at Nakamoto's house, the address of which had been published by Newsweek. Given that this was the tech press, armed with Instagram accounts and little tact, the scene became especially bizarre:I repeat, the creator of bitcoin lives with his mother and plays with trains. Because of course. http://t.co/mFdNz1Zive
— Christopher Mims (@mims) March 6, 2014
Nakamoto then decided to offer an exclusive to the AP, apparently because the august news organization had offered him free sushi.
Nakamoto then reportedly got in the car with the AP reporter, and the throng of dejected journalists proceeded to give chase across the greater LA area. The so-called #bitcoincarchase was documented by dogged reporters given over to the surreal carnival. Nakamoto ended up at the AP offices, ostensibly so the chosen reporter could keep the throng at bay—nonetheless, one LA Times journalist threw herself into the elevator before they could escape.
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Meanwhile, on an original Bitcoin forum board, posting from the Satoshi Nakamoto profile that had been idle since 2011, a single-sentence comment appeared: "I am not Dorian Nakamoto."So the story can safely continue being all of the above: it is still mysterious, ridiculous, fascinating, very much worth being skeptical of. Much like bBtcoin itself: with an exchange rate of $650 US dollars, volatile spikes in value, and ambiguity still shrouding its legal and commercial utility, it's alternatively described as 'growing,' 'struggling,' 'booming,' or 'fake' depending on the commenter, depending on the day.Which is why the tweet/exhalation "I am Satoshi Nakamoto" proliferated online in the wake of the entire saga; you might as well have been. Satoshi Nakamoto is still whoever we want him to be.Seriously, congrats to @Newsweek on doxxing an elderly Japanese man near LA.
— Prof. Jeff Jarvis (@ProfJeffJarvis) March 6, 2014