“Should Have Bought” is a news podcast by the ForkLog editorial team, covering the week’s major industry events and the hottest tokens.
Topics include the exoneration of Tigran Gambaryan, peculiar taxation in Denmark, Bitcoin developer Peter Todd’s concerns, and the “about-face” of MicroStrategy’s founder.
Special guest: Grigory Klumov, founder of the stablecoin platform Stasis.net.
Participants: ForkLog authors Lena Jess and Vasily Smirnov.
Satoshi’s Concerns
Following the release of HBO’s documentary Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery, Canadian programmer Peter Todd found himself in hiding.
The film suggested he might be Bitcoin’s creator, a claim Todd denies. He asserts that director Cullen Hoback used this theory to draw attention to the film.
Todd notes that such false claims put him at risk, given Nakamoto’s bitcoins are valued in the billions. After the premiere, he received a flood of emails requesting money, including one individual who pleaded for help with a loan, sending 25 messages in two days.
Hoback believes Todd’s fears are exaggerated, noting that other potential Satoshis, like Adam Back or Nick Szabo, have not faced similar attention. However, the widow of the late cryptographer Len Sassaman confirmed Todd’s concerns, stating she experienced security threats when her husband was named a possible Bitcoin creator.
“War on Cryptocurrencies”
In early 2025, Denmark’s Tax Council will propose a bill to tax unrealized cryptocurrency gains based on the mark-to-market principle.
This means digital asset owners will be required to pay the state annually if there is a positive revaluation, regardless of whether the assets are sold. The bill will also require crypto companies to disclose their clients’ transaction information.
According to Steno Research analyst Mads Eberhardt, the proposed tax rate will be 42%. It will apply not only to new acquisitions but also to assets accumulated since Bitcoin’s early years. The expert described these measures as a “war on cryptocurrencies.”
The End of the Nigerian Saga?
Nigerian authorities have dropped charges against Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan. The decision was influenced by diplomatic intervention, minimal involvement in the case, and his deteriorating health.
The court ordered Gambaryan’s release from prison, but no acquittal was issued.
Now, Binance remains the sole defendant in the case, accused of money laundering and currency manipulation amounting to $34.4 million. The next court hearings are scheduled for November.
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