LONDON–Has one of the great financial mysteries of the earliest 21st century finally been officially solved?
Yes, say some analysts, although one publication suggested “nagging problems remain.”
Craig Steven Wright has said that he is the creator of Bitcoin, the digital currency expected to revolutionize global funds transfers. Five months ago Wright, an Australian computer scientist and businessman, was outed against his will as “Satoshi Nakamoto,” the creator of Bitcoin, in a publication. Now, Wright has published a blog post offering cryptographic proof along with other information that supports he is indeed the creator of the technology.
The Economist reported it had been provided access to Wright prior to his public statements, and said its review of the evidence suggests he could indeed be Nakamoto, although it added “nagging questions remain. In fact, it may never be possible to prove beyond reasonable doubt who really created Bitcoin.”
Wright said that after four months of silence he has stepped forward, but not to seek publicity but instead to set the record straight, according to the Economist. He told the Economist he called himself “Nakamoto” after a 17th-century Japanese philosopher and merchant, Tominaga Nakamoto, who was highly critical of the normative thought of his time and favored free trade. He declined to say why he selected Satoshi, saying only “some things should remain secret.”
The Economist reported that if Wright is indeed Nakamoto it would not only help to illuminate the origins of bitcoin—“it could also have a big impact on the future of the controversial cryptocurrency.”
The Bitcoin project was launched with the publication of a paper in 2008, and then the first release of Bitcoin software in 2009. Nakamoto/Wright stepped back from active involvement in 2010.