Subject Interpellation in New Media: Bitcoin’s Ideological Shift from Satoshi Nakamoto’s White Paper to Indonesian Digital Narratives

Abstract

This study examines how Bitcoin discourse in new media rearticulates the subject positions offered to audiences. Bitcoin was initially introduced by Satoshi Nakamoto in Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System as a decentralized electronic cash system relying on a peer-to-peer network, cryptographic verification, and collective consensus. However, within digital media spaces, Bitcoin has undergone a semantic expansion and is increasingly constructed as an investment asset, a symbol of financial freedom, and a vehicle for economic mobility. Addressing this gap, this study analyzes Bitcoin's ideological shift from Satoshi Nakamoto’s white paper to Angga Andinata’s YouTube narratives, employing an interpretative qualitative approach and Louis Althusser’s framework of interpellation. The research data comprises two primary texts: Satoshi Nakamoto’s white paper (2008) and the video titled Halving 2024: Ini Jalan Ninjaku (2024). The findings reveal that Nakamoto’s white paper offers the subject position of a node or network participant—an individual hailed to recognize themselves as part of a decentralized technical infrastructure. Conversely, Angga Andinata’s narrative offers the subject position of an investor or holder, where the audience is hailed to perceive Bitcoin as an asset ownership opportunity and a means for personal economic future. The shift from node to investor demonstrates that the meaning of technology is not fixed but is continually reshaped through communicative practices. These findings underscore that new media functions as an arena for ideological articulation, wherein technology is translated into narratives that shape identity, aspirations, and societal understanding.