Tucker Carlson Says the CIA Invented Bitcoin—Does BTC Have Hidden Layers?

While speaking at the Bitcoin 2024 Conference last Friday, popular independent journalist Tucker Carlson ignited several sparks in the crypto community

Popular independent journalist Tucker Carlson made waves in the crypto community last Friday by suggesting during a speech at the Bitcoin 2024 Conference that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) may have been involved in Bitcoin's creation. Carlson's remarks sparked immediate discussion online, with many speculating about the pseudonymous Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto's true identity.

Carlson, a strong proponent of BTC's potential to transform financial sovereignty, hinted at a less organic origin for the cryptocurrency. He said:

“Crypto people aren’t just in it to make a buck. They're in it to change the world forever. These are not shallow people. These are people who can answer every single question except who was Satoshi, which they don't answer. Someone should answer that. Did nope. I think we know.”

Tucker says the CIA invented Bitcoin

What is more likely, some secret guy with a Japanese name or a powerful government built it? pic.twitter.com/6jn6e3MfVv

— Jake Shields (@jakeshieldsajj) July 31, 2024

Interestingly, Carlson also claimed that a person in the room knew Satoshi Nakamoto's identity. However, Carlson expressed skepticism towards the informer's knowledge. “In fact, I have a friend who's probably sitting here who told me he did know, but I don't believe him.”

Despite speculating on the CIA's potential role in creating Bitcoin, Tucker Carlson went on to praise BTC for empowering its investors with financial freedom. He concluded, “And I don't care if it was the CIA. It doesn't matter. The idea is still a great idea. Obviously, it was the CIA. I think we all know that. It's like Signal. They got there first. It's a honeytap.”

Discussion Within the Bitcoin Community

Tucker Carlson's insinuation of the CIA's involvement sparked further discussion within the Bitcoin community. Conspiracy theorist David Icke linked this to the current political movement and asked, “If the CIA started Bitcoin, Tucker, and now Trump and his Silicon Valley coterie are pushing it, then do you think by any chance that there might be more to know?”

However, Saifedean Ammous, author of the popular book The Bitcoin Standard, dismissed Icke's suggestion of any hidden layers within Bitcoin, stating: “Bitcoin is software you can read and audit yourself. There is nothing more to it than the software you read, and it's been read by thousands for fifteen years.”

Tyler Durden, a well-known figure in the crypto community, denied any CIA connection, asserting that the agency's involvement only came later with Ethereum. “It wasn't CIA. They came in late with Ethereum because someone beat them to the punch with Bitcoin. So they've basically spent the last decade trying to build and kill crypto around Bitcoin which in turn would bring it down too. Unfortunately, that hasn't worked now they're fucked,” he said.

As these conspiracy theories continue to circulate, the Bitcoin price has experienced sharp volatility in the past few hours, dropping to $62,000 and triggering more than $2.4 billion in leveraged long liquidations. At the time of writing, BTC is trading 0.13% at $64,456.69. According to a recent CNF update, analysts are anticipating Bitcoin will hit $90,000.

Just as the Fed decided to hold interest rates steady, the BTC price crashed to under $64,000, as reported by CNF. On the other hand, Bitcoin ETFs have gained strong popularity among institutional investors in the US. According to the CNF update, BlackRock expects some model portfolios to seek exposure to BTC ETFs by year-end.