A prominent U.S. crypto attorney has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), demanding the release of any government-held information about the true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin.
The lawsuit, filed by James A. Murphy, a lawyer licensed in New York and Virginia and known online as @MetaLawMan, accuses the DHS of failing to respond to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request submitted on February 12, 2025. Murphy alleges the agency has ignored its legal obligation to provide a timely response, prompting him to take legal action in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
“Given the massive public and private investment in Bitcoin, it is important for Mr. Murphy and the public to understand better what the federal government knows about the identity of the actor(s) responsible for creating Bitcoin,” stated Murphy’s legal team in the complaint.
The Search for Satoshi: DHS Interview Under Scrutiny
At the center of Murphy’s FOIA request is an alleged 2019 interview with DHS Special Agent Rana Saoud, in which she reportedly claimed to know the identity of Nakamoto. According to Murphy, Saoud stated that four individuals were involved in Bitcoin’s creation and that she had met with them in person to discuss its development.
Murphy is seeking access to any documents or communications related to that interview, believing the information could have far-reaching implications. The lawyer argues that with billions of dollars now invested in Bitcoin ETFs, and recent U.S. discussions around forming a strategic Bitcoin reserve, knowing who created the protocol has become a matter of public and economic interest.
Murphy has also called on DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, appointed under President Trump’s administration, to voluntarily release the information in question. Failing that, he says he’s prepared to escalate the legal battle.
A Mystery That’s Endured for Years
The identity of Satoshi Nakamoto has remained one of the greatest mysteries in tech and finance. Since Bitcoin’s whitepaper was published in 2008, dozens of individuals have been speculated to be Nakamoto, including:
- Hal Finney, the first recipient of a Bitcoin transaction
- Dorian Nakamoto, a Japanese-American engineer
- Adam Back, creator of Hashcash
- Wei Dai, inventor of b-money
- Paul Le Roux, a former criminal mastermind linked to early cryptographic software
Most recently, Canadian cryptographer Peter Todd was featured in HBO’s Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery, which speculated that he may be Satoshi based on writing style and early forum activity. Todd has strongly denied the claims, calling the documentary’s conclusions “ludicrous.”
What’s Next?
It remains to be seen how the DHS will respond to the lawsuit. If the courts rule in Murphy’s favor, it could mark the first time a U.S. government agency is compelled to release sensitive information about Bitcoin’s enigmatic founder.
For now, the mystery of Satoshi Nakamoto continues — but with mounting legal pressure, the crypto world may finally get closer to an answer that has eluded it for more than a decade.
