If declared as fiction, not if stated as a fact. Right now that piece is as fake news as any other fake news.
BTW Mr. Muse also omits how once he was identified by the NSA, Mr. Satoshi Nakamoto was forced to leave the Illuminati ...
If so, smell test is very bad.... but source?
Problem here is, why not link this? You are smell testing way worse by not linking.
Back to the fiction, like Fairy Tales some times there's a (thought) lesson even if it's made up. And even if the supposed lesson is wrong it makes you think.
Naah, I am claiming that my sources maybe told me that (and they also maybe told me that this piece of info was shared with Mr.Muse).
To cite (maybe) Isaac Asimov:
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Absurdism
"Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do."
There is nothing in it that would be outside of the capabilities of the NSA.
IMO I tend to believe it is not fiction, without even looking at the authors resume.
It passes many smell tests that a lot of HN articles clearly fail.