[UPDATE]
Australian entrepreneur Dr. Craig Wright claims to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the man who created Bitcoin.
Dr. Wright made the shocking announcement today to the BBC, GQ, and the Economist. He proved his identity by presenting the cryptographic keys associated with the first Bitcoin blocks ever mined. According to Dr. Wright:
“These are the blocks used to send 10 bitcoins to Hal Finney in January [2009] as the first bitcoin transaction.”
In a recently set up site, Dr. Wright mentioned involvement in Bitcoin, while being vague about the extent of his personal contribution. It cryptically alludes to creating a forum to “which dispels myths and helps to unleash its potential.”
Gavin Andresen agrees Wright is Satoshi
In a post published today, legendary Bitcoin developer Gavin Andresen stated that he believed Dr. Wright to be Bitcoin’s creator.
“I was flown to London to meet Dr. Wright a couple of weeks ago, after an initial email conversation convinced me that there was a very good chance he was the same person I’d communicated with in 2010 and early 2011. After spending time with him I am convinced beyond a reasonable doubt: Craig Wright is Satoshi.”
During the meeting, Andresen stated that he was “very happy to be able to say I shook his hand and thanked him for giving Bitcoin to the world.”
Satoshi’s identity a mystery for years
The identity of the real person behind the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto has been a mystery for years. Cryptographer Nick Szabo, Dorian Satoshi Nakamoto, and deceased Bitcoin developer Hal Finney all were once suspected of being the creator of the world’s first cryptocurrency.
Recently, Cointelegraph speculated that Dr. Wright could not be Satoshi Nakamoto. Now, that speculation has been shown to be false. The hunt for Satoshi Nakamoto has come to a close.
[UPDATE]