Bitcoin Movie Sparks Craig Wright Satoshi Debate

A $70 million Bitcoin movie centered on Craig Wright’s version of the Satoshi Nakamoto story is in post-production, reigniting controversy over the disputed identity of Bitcoin’s creator.

Directed by Doug Liman, the film stars Casey Affleck as Wright and features Gal Gadot, Calvin Ayre, Pete Davidson and Isla Fisher. AI-generated versions of Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos and Jack Dorsey also appear. Artificial intelligence was used to create sets and environments while actors performed on a largely bare stage, a production method producer Ryan Kavanaugh says significantly reduced costs.

Former Mt. Gox CEO Mark Karpelès responded to discussion surrounding the movie by directing people to bitcoin.movie, a website that relies on public court judgments to challenge Wright’s account.

The controversy stems largely from Wright’s longstanding claim to be Satoshi Nakamoto. In 2024, the High Court of England and Wales ruled that Wright was not the author of the Bitcoin white paper and did not create Bitcoin. Mr Justice Mellor concluded that Wright had repeatedly lied to the court and engaged in extensive forgery.

Wright was subsequently found in contempt of court in December 2024 and received a suspended 12-month prison sentence after bringing a £900 billion lawsuit against Bitcoin developers and companies.

Wright and Karpelès also have previous history. In 2020, Wright’s lawyers claimed ownership of Bitcoin held in two wallets connected to the Mt. Gox hack.

Despite the legal rulings, Wright remains active in debates surrounding Bitcoin. He recently criticized Bitcoin governance and argued that the cryptocurrency’s underlying rules should remain unchanged.

The movie has also attracted scrutiny because Calvin Ayre, Wright’s longtime financial supporter, reportedly helped finance the project. The film was offered to potential buyers at the Cannes market in April, but no distributor has been announced and there is currently no confirmed release date.

Interest in Satoshi Nakamoto’s identity remains strong as documentaries, investigations and competing theories continue to emerge. The new Bitcoin movie adds Hollywood production value to that debate, but court findings remain a major challenge to the version of Bitcoin history it reportedly presents.