Educator Claims U.S. Agencies Created Bitcoin

Beijing-based educator Jiang Xueqin has ignited a fresh controversy in cryptocurrency circles by claiming that Bitcoin was likely developed by U.S. intelligence agencies, including the CIA, rather than its pseudonymous creator, Satoshi Nakamoto. The assertion, voiced during an April 15 appearance on the Jack Neel Podcast, has prompted sharp rebuttals from Bitcoin advocates who argue it stems from a fundamental misreading of the technology's decentralized design.

Jiang, a Chinese-Canadian history teacher and deputy principal at Tsinghua University High School, hosts the YouTube channel Predictive History, which boasts 2.3 million subscribers. Known for blending game theory with geopolitical forecasts, he outlined his theory through three key questions: who possessed the technical expertise to invent blockchain, who stands to gain from it, and why would the creator release it anonymously for free after years of development? In Jiang's view, these factors point to U.S. deep state entities like the CIA, NSA, and DARPA, the same agencies behind foundational technologies such as the internet and GPS.

He contended that blockchain serves dual strategic roles: enabling large-scale...