Crypto Lawyer Sues DHS Over Alleged Satoshi Nakamoto Meeting
The lawsuit was filed under the Freedom of Information Act, and it follows a 2019 claim by DHS Special Agent Rana Saoud that agents interviewed four people that were involved in Bitcoin's creation. Murphy argues that if true, this information could boost public trust in Bitcoin and promote wider adoption. The case coincides with other federal transparency efforts, including an executive order that mandates US agencies to report crypto holdings to the Treasury.
Lawsuit Claims DHS May Know Who Created Bitcoin
A new lawsuit that was filed by crypto lawyer James Murphy, also known as MetaLawMan, is seeking to compel the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to reveal whether it has information about the identity of Bitcoin's elusive creator, Satoshi Nakamoto. The suit was filed under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and it centers on a statement made by DHS Special Agent Rana Saoud during an April 2019 presentation at the OffshoreAlert Conference in Miami.
Saoud claimed that DHS agents interviewed four people that were involved in creating Bitcoin, suggesting a deeper government knowledge of Bitcoin's origins than previously known. This suggests that the US government has a much deeper knowledge of who Bitcoin’s creator may be than most people first thought.
Murphy announced the lawsuit on April 7, and said he is simply asking for the notes, emails, or any other documents related to that alleged meeting. He believes that if the meeting really took place, there should be records with more details about its substance.
In her 2019 speech, Saoud stated that DHS agents flew to California to speak with a person they believed helped create Bitcoin and discovered he was not alone—three others were allegedly involved. She explained the agents' goal was to understand how Bitcoin works and what the creators’ long-term vision was.
Lawsuit filed against DHS (Source: James Murphy)
Murphy is open to the possibility that Saoud and her colleagues may have been mistaken, but believes it is still important to verify the claims. He is prepared to pursue the case until its conclusion to determine the truth. Brian Field, a former Assistant US Attorney with experience in FOIA litigation, supports the case. The FOIA exists to ensure transparency and accountability in government by granting public access to federal records.
When asked whether he believes the DHS truly interviewed Satoshi, Murphy responded that it’s possible the agents met with code maintainers or imposters. However, he also pointed out that Saoud was a high-ranking official and likely had access to accurate information. Murphy argued that revealing whether the government actually possesses knowledge about Nakamoto could settle some very long standing questions and potentially boost public trust in Bitcoin.
Murphy also acknowledged the concerns about privacy and the potential risks of disclosing Satoshi’s identity, and compared it to the well-known identities of other blockchain pioneers like Charles Hoskinson and Vitalik Buterin. He explained that he is not hiring private investigators but is instead using legal channels to request transparency from the government. He also pointed out that government agencies should not hold secrets from the public unless national security is at stake.
Murphy has been involved in Bitcoin mining and investment since 2017, and believes increased transparency around Bitcoin’s origins could enhance adoption globally. He shared that audiences he speaks to often find it difficult to trust a financial system with an anonymous creator, especially when other projects have clear provenance. Murphy believes that identifying Satoshi is unlikely to impact Bitcoin negatively, as its code is open-source and changes require community consensus through the Bitcoin Improvement Proposal (BIP) process.
His main intention is to either disprove Saoud’s claim or confirm it through proper legal channels. In his view, bringing this issue to light may remove one of the final mysteries surrounding Bitcoin and support its adoption, particularly in light of pro-Bitcoin initiatives like President Trump’s proposed Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
HBO documentary cover
This lawsuit now adds to a growing list of attempts to uncover Satoshi Nakamoto’s identity. Previous efforts, including an HBO documentary claiming that cypherpunk Peter Todd was the inventor of Bitcoin, have largely failed and was mostly met with skepticism. Other people like Nick Szabo, Adam Back, and Hal Finney have been repeatedly speculated upon, but each denied the connection.
For now, the Bitcoin community is still divided on whether revealing Satoshi’s identity will really be beneficial or detrimental.
US Agencies Ordered to Reveal Crypto Holdings
Other US federal agencies are also under pressure to be more transparent as they are expected to disclose their cryptocurrency holdings to the Department of the Treasury by April 7, after an executive order was signed by President Donald Trump earlier this year. According to journalist Eleanor Terrett, the agencies have to report their crypto assets to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent by the deadline. These disclosures will stay confidential for now, and it is still unclear if or when the information will be made public.
The reporting requirement stems from a March 7 executive order that started the formation of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a broader Digital Asset Stockpile. The Bitcoin reserve will be seeded using BTC that was previously seized by federal agencies through civil or criminal proceedings.
White House AI and crypto czar David Sacks described the reserve as a “digital Fort Knox,” assuring that the BTC stored in the reserve would not be sold but rather held as a store of value. Sacks previously criticized the US government’s decision to sell 195,000 BTC for just $366 million, and suggested that those assets could have been worth billions if they were never sold.
The Strategic Bitcoin Reserve will initially be funded with BTC held by the Treasury. Other federal agencies are currently reviewing their legal authority to transfer their holdings to the centralized reserve. Meanwhile, the Digital Asset Stockpile is intended to encourage responsible management of government-held crypto under the oversight of the Treasury, potentially including controlled asset sales.
On March 2, President Trump announced that the crypto reserve will include a variety of digital assets, and specifically named XRP, Solana, and Cardano. He later added Ethereum and Bitcoin to the list. This move was part of the major shift in US government crypto policy that signaled a much more structured and long-term approach to digital asset management.
However, Trump’s most recent policy move rattled the markets. On April 5, the administration imposed a sweeping 10% tariff on all countries, with higher rates for specific nations like China, Japan, and the European Union. The global reaction was immediate and severe, with the overall cryptocurrency market shedding more than 8% of its capitalization and falling to $2.5 trillion. This unexpected shift from a pro-crypto stance to aggressive international trade policies introduced new volatility into both traditional and digital markets.
Total crypto market cap over the past 30 days (Source: CoinMarketCap)
Crypto Lawyer Sues DHS Over Alleged Satoshi Nakamoto Meeting
The lawsuit was filed under the Freedom of Information Act, and it follows a 2019 claim by DHS Special Agent Rana Saoud that agents interviewed four people that were involved in Bitcoin's creation. Murphy argues that if true, this information could boost public trust in Bitcoin and promote wider adoption. The case coincides with other federal transparency efforts, including an executive order that mandates US agencies to report crypto holdings to the Treasury.
Lawsuit Claims DHS May Know Who Created Bitcoin
A new lawsuit that was filed by crypto lawyer James Murphy, also known as MetaLawMan, is seeking to compel the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to reveal whether it has information about the identity of Bitcoin's elusive creator, Satoshi Nakamoto. The suit was filed under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and it centers on a statement made by DHS Special Agent Rana Saoud during an April 2019 presentation at the OffshoreAlert Conference in Miami.
Saoud claimed that DHS agents interviewed four people that were involved in creating Bitcoin, suggesting a deeper government knowledge of Bitcoin's origins than previously known. This suggests that the US government has a much deeper knowledge of who Bitcoin’s creator may be than most people first thought.
Murphy announced the lawsuit on April 7, and said he is simply asking for the notes, emails, or any other documents related to that alleged meeting. He believes that if the meeting really took place, there should be records with more details about its substance.
In her 2019 speech, Saoud stated that DHS agents flew to California to speak with a person they believed helped create Bitcoin and discovered he was not alone—three others were allegedly involved. She explained the agents' goal was to understand how Bitcoin works and what the creators’ long-term vision was.
Lawsuit filed against DHS (Source: James Murphy)
Murphy is open to the possibility that Saoud and her colleagues may have been mistaken, but believes it is still important to verify the claims. He is prepared to pursue the case until its conclusion to determine the truth. Brian Field, a former Assistant US Attorney with experience in FOIA litigation, supports the case. The FOIA exists to ensure transparency and accountability in government by granting public access to federal records.
When asked whether he believes the DHS truly interviewed Satoshi, Murphy responded that it’s possible the agents met with code maintainers or imposters. However, he also pointed out that Saoud was a high-ranking official and likely had access to accurate information. Murphy argued that revealing whether the government actually possesses knowledge about Nakamoto could settle some very long standing questions and potentially boost public trust in Bitcoin.
Murphy also acknowledged the concerns about privacy and the potential risks of disclosing Satoshi’s identity, and compared it to the well-known identities of other blockchain pioneers like Charles Hoskinson and Vitalik Buterin. He explained that he is not hiring private investigators but is instead using legal channels to request transparency from the government. He also pointed out that government agencies should not hold secrets from the public unless national security is at stake.
Murphy has been involved in Bitcoin mining and investment since 2017, and believes increased transparency around Bitcoin’s origins could enhance adoption globally. He shared that audiences he speaks to often find it difficult to trust a financial system with an anonymous creator, especially when other projects have clear provenance. Murphy believes that identifying Satoshi is unlikely to impact Bitcoin negatively, as its code is open-source and changes require community consensus through the Bitcoin Improvement Proposal (BIP) process.
His main intention is to either disprove Saoud’s claim or confirm it through proper legal channels. In his view, bringing this issue to light may remove one of the final mysteries surrounding Bitcoin and support its adoption, particularly in light of pro-Bitcoin initiatives like President Trump’s proposed Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
HBO documentary cover
This lawsuit now adds to a growing list of attempts to uncover Satoshi Nakamoto’s identity. Previous efforts, including an HBO documentary claiming that cypherpunk Peter Todd was the inventor of Bitcoin, have largely failed and was mostly met with skepticism. Other people like Nick Szabo, Adam Back, and Hal Finney have been repeatedly speculated upon, but each denied the connection.
For now, the Bitcoin community is still divided on whether revealing Satoshi’s identity will really be beneficial or detrimental.
US Agencies Ordered to Reveal Crypto Holdings
Other US federal agencies are also under pressure to be more transparent as they are expected to disclose their cryptocurrency holdings to the Department of the Treasury by April 7, after an executive order was signed by President Donald Trump earlier this year. According to journalist Eleanor Terrett, the agencies have to report their crypto assets to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent by the deadline. These disclosures will stay confidential for now, and it is still unclear if or when the information will be made public.
The reporting requirement stems from a March 7 executive order that started the formation of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a broader Digital Asset Stockpile. The Bitcoin reserve will be seeded using BTC that was previously seized by federal agencies through civil or criminal proceedings.
White House AI and crypto czar David Sacks described the reserve as a “digital Fort Knox,” assuring that the BTC stored in the reserve would not be sold but rather held as a store of value. Sacks previously criticized the US government’s decision to sell 195,000 BTC for just $366 million, and suggested that those assets could have been worth billions if they were never sold.
The Strategic Bitcoin Reserve will initially be funded with BTC held by the Treasury. Other federal agencies are currently reviewing their legal authority to transfer their holdings to the centralized reserve. Meanwhile, the Digital Asset Stockpile is intended to encourage responsible management of government-held crypto under the oversight of the Treasury, potentially including controlled asset sales.
On March 2, President Trump announced that the crypto reserve will include a variety of digital assets, and specifically named XRP, Solana, and Cardano. He later added Ethereum and Bitcoin to the list. This move was part of the major shift in US government crypto policy that signaled a much more structured and long-term approach to digital asset management.
However, Trump’s most recent policy move rattled the markets. On April 5, the administration imposed a sweeping 10% tariff on all countries, with higher rates for specific nations like China, Japan, and the European Union. The global reaction was immediate and severe, with the overall cryptocurrency market shedding more than 8% of its capitalization and falling to $2.5 trillion. This unexpected shift from a pro-crypto stance to aggressive international trade policies introduced new volatility into both traditional and digital markets.
Total crypto market cap over the past 30 days (Source: CoinMarketCap)