Tucker Carlson Alleges CIA Involvement in Bitcoin's Creation, Dismisses Cryptocurrency as Potential Scam

American conservative commentator Tucker Carlson has sparked controversy by suggesting that Bitcoin's enigmatic creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, may be linked to U.S. intelligence agencies, specifically the CIA. Speaking at a Turning Point USA event on October 23, 2025, Carlson expressed deep skepticism about Bitcoin, labeling it a potential "scam" run by financial elites and political insiders. "I fear that it will become so many other things in our country — a scam of sorts run by a coalition of the financial beneficiaries, like a few people who are getting all the winnings and the politicians they control, who use it to further their control of American society," he told the audience.

Carlson, who identifies as a gold buyer, questioned the logic of investing in an asset with an anonymous founder, noting that wallets attributed to Satoshi hold approximately 1.096 million BTC, valued at around $120 billion. "I grew up in D.C. primarily in a government family, so CIA, that's my guess. Can't prove it, but you're telling me to invest in something whose founder is mysterious and has billions of dollars of unused Bitcoin. What is that?" he added. His remarks come as Bitcoin trades near $108,800, amid growing institutional adoption through U.S.-approved ETFs.

Bitcoin advocates quickly countered Carlson's claims. Marty Bent, founder of TFTC, argued that Bitcoin's open-source code allows anyone to audit it, rendering the creator's identity irrelevant. "It doesn't matter if the CIA created Bitcoin. Even if it did (it didn't), anyone can audit the code to see if it works as intended. That's all that matters," Bent wrote on X. Similarly, Jack Mallers, CEO of Strike, emphasized that Bitcoin's transparency and decentralized nature make it resistant to control, regardless of Satoshi's background.

Historical context underscores the mystery: Nakamoto published the Bitcoin whitepaper in 2008, mined the first block in January 2009, and vanished by 2011. Recent activity includes a $20,000 transfer to Nakamoto's Genesis Block wallet in June 2025, interpreted as a tribute or accidental withdrawal. Despite his skepticism, Carlson acknowledged appreciating Bitcoin's principles of financial autonomy, though he remains unconvinced about its origins.