American attorney James Murphy, known on X as MetaLawMan, has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), invoking the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to obtain documents that he believes may contain information about the creators of Bitcoin.
The lawsuit was prompted by a statement made by DHS special agent Rana Saoud in 2019, in which she claimed her colleagues had met with four individuals allegedly behind the creation of the first cryptocurrency.
Saoud’s Statement and the Lawsuit’s Demands
At the OffshoreAlert North America conference in Miami, Saoud stated that DHS agents flew to California and held discussions with a group of individuals suspected of creating Bitcoin. They allegedly spoke with them about the project’s purpose and long-term mission.
Murphy is demanding that the agency release any documents — emails, notes, or reports — related to this episode.
In a post on April 7, he emphasized that if the meeting indeed took place, it should be documented. If it did not, that would be grounds to dispute the original claims. The lawyer added that he is prepared to pursue the case to the end if the agency refuses to provide the information voluntarily.
Intentions and Motives Behind the Lawsuit
Murphy stated that although it is possible the agent may have been mistaken and was actually speaking with code developers or impostors, uncovering the truth is worthwhile.
He believes transparency in this matter is an important step toward legitimizing Bitcoin and advancing the recognition of digital assets in the United States. He stressed that he is not hunting for Satoshi but rather seeking transparency from the government.
In an interview with Cointelegraph, Murphy acknowledged that the agent might have referred to individuals unrelated to the real Satoshi. He also noted that the founders of major blockchain projects are publicly known (e.g., Vitalik Buterin, Charles Hoskinson), and that billionaires who made fortunes from Bitcoin are also public figures.
In his view, the government’s concealment of this information appears unjustified. He added that he believes transparency would benefit the industry and expressed support for Donald Trump’s initiatives to create a strategic Bitcoin reserve in the U.S.
According to Murphy, even if Satoshi’s real identity is revealed, it would not affect the network’s decentralization, since changes to the code can only occur through open BIP procedures.
Background of the Satoshi Hunt
The mystery around Satoshi Nakamoto’s identity has persisted for over a decade. In December 2024, Craig Wright, who repeatedly claimed to be Satoshi, was sentenced to 12 months in jail for contempt of court in a case regarding rights to Bitcoin’s source code.
Earlier, HBO released a documentary speculating that Bitcoin’s inventor might be Peter Todd, though he denied the claim. Over the years, other suspects have included Nick Szabo, Adam Back, and Hal Finney, but none of the evidence has been conclusive.
Meanwhile, the Bitcoin community remains divided. Some believe revealing Satoshi’s identity would harm the principle of decentralization and pose a security risk. Others argue that it could boost trust in the network. A segment of users fears that Bitcoin might be a creation of government entities and hope this investigation will provide definitive answers.
What’s your stance on the matter? Share your opinion in the comments.
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