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Is bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto living quietly in Temple City?

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The mythical bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto may not be a myth after all. He may in fact be a rumpled 64-year-old man named Satoshi Nakamoto who is living quietly in the San Gabriel Valley.

A Newsweek magazine reporter says she followed a trail that led her to a Satoshi Nakamoto in Temple City. When the reporter went to Nakamoto’s home unannounced, he apparently called the Temple City police, who stood watch as a short interview was conducted:

“Now face to face, with two police officers as witnesses, Nakamoto’s responses to my questions about bitcoin were careful but revealing,” according to the Newsweek article.

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“ ‘I am no longer involved in that and I cannot discuss it,’ he says, dismissing all further queries with a swat of his left hand. ‘It’s been turned over to other people. They are in charge of it now. I no longer have any connection.’ ”

If true, the revelation is surprising for a number of reasons.

It has been widely believed that Satoshi Nakamoto was a fake name for a programmer, probably much younger, who wished to be anonymous.

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And the Satoshi Nakamoto tracked down by Newsweek is living in a modest house. But it’s believed that the real Satoshi Nakamoto holds bitcoins worth about $400 million.

One thing is clear: If this is the real bitcoin inventor, his life many never be the same now that his true identity has been revealed.

To see how Newsweek tracked him down, read the full story here.

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[For the Record, 8:47 a.m. PST: An earlier version of this post incorrectly indicated that the Newsweek reporter is a man. She is a woman.]

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