Attorney James Murphy filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS). He seeks to uncover documents regarding a possible meeting between department officials and Bitcoin’s creator, Satoshi Nakamoto.
According to him, the lawsuit was prompted by statements made by DHS special agent Rana Saud at a 2019 conference. At that time, she claimed that department officials had met with a group of four individuals involved in creating the first cryptocurrency.
The Great Mystery of the 21st Century—Who is Bitcoin Creator “Satoshi Nakamoto?”
The United States Government claims to know the answer—but isn’t talking.
So, today I sued the U.S. Government to find out exactly what it knows.
??
— MetaLawMan (@MetaLawMan) April 7, 2025
“My Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit demands the records of this meeting: documents, emails, and other materials,” the attorney wrote on X.
At the conference, Saud detailed the meeting, stating that agents flew to California to speak with the alleged creators of Bitcoin. During the conversation, participants discussed the goals and reasons for creating the cryptocurrency.
Murphy stated that if the DHS resists disclosing the information, he will “see the case through to the end” to uncover Nakamoto’s mystery.
The attorney is assisted by former US Assistant Attorney Brian Field, who specializes in FOIA litigation.
In an interview with Cointelegraph, Murphy noted that DHS agents might have been mistaken and met either with Bitcoin code developers or decoys.
According to the attorney, his goal is not to find Satoshi but to increase transparency in government operations for cryptocurrency users and supporters.
Murphy’s lawsuit follows a series of other attempts to reveal the identity of the first cryptocurrency’s creator. However, most such efforts have been criticized for lacking sufficient evidence.
The crypto enthusiast community is divided: some fear that revealing Satoshi’s identity could harm Bitcoin’s decentralized nature, while others insist on dispelling doubts about the asset’s possible ties to government entities.
In the documentary Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery, released by HBO, the creator of the first cryptocurrency was named as Canadian programmer Peter Todd.
He denied the information and subsequently was forced into hiding for safety reasons.
On February 15, deBanked editor-in-chief Sean Murray named Jack Dorsey as the creator of Bitcoin. The expert compiled an impressive list of facts, dates, and coincidences allegedly supporting his theory.