London (AFP) – An Australian man, Craig Wright, 53, is currently on trial in London for claiming to be the enigmatic creator of bitcoin. This is not the first time someone has been linked to being the cryptocurrency’s mysterious founder.
Wright, a computer scientist, insists he is “Satoshi Nakamoto,” the pseudonym of bitcoin’s creator who introduced the cryptocurrency to the world in 2008 through a white paper. However, he is being sued by cryptocurrency activists who accuse him of lying and forging documents to pretend he is the real Satoshi.
Bitcoin, currently the largest cryptocurrency, has a market capitalization of $880 billion according to specialist website Coingecko. Its popularity skyrocketed after Satoshi disappeared from the radar in 2011, leaving behind a code that was later refined by other developers. This sparked multiple theories about Satoshi’s true identity.
One theory pointed to American developer and cryptographer Hal Finney, who received the first virtual unit of bitcoin when Satoshi sent him 10 bitcoins as a test. However, in 2023, this theory was debunked by a high-profile crypto blogger who uncovered evidence that Finney was participating in a running race at the same time Satoshi was answering emails and carrying out bitcoin transactions.
Another suspect was Japanese-American engineer Dorian Nakamoto, who was identified as Satoshi by Newsweek magazine in 2014. However, Nakamoto denied any involvement and stated that he had no connection to bitcoin.
Nick Szabo, a US computer scientist of Hungarian origin, was also considered a possible candidate for Satoshi’s identity due to his early adoption of decentralized cryptocurrencies. However, there is no concrete evidence to support this theory.
Wright, who describes himself as the “Creator of Bitcoin,” is currently being sued by Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) for his claims of being Satoshi. COPA accuses Wright of lying and forging documents, and he has been involved in several lawsuits related to his claims.
Even Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, has been speculated to be Satoshi Nakamoto. However, the tech mogul has denied these allegations.
Despite the numerous theories and speculations, the true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto remains a mystery. Some believe that bitcoin’s complexity suggests it was created by a group of people rather than a single individual. Others believe that the real Satoshi may have passed away or chooses to remain anonymous to preserve the cryptocurrency’s collective ethos.
It is estimated that the real Satoshi Nakamoto owns around 980,000 bitcoins, worth approximately $44 billion. If he is alive and decides to sell his bitcoins, it could potentially crash the cryptocurrency market. However, for now, the identity of bitcoin’s creator remains a mystery.
© 2024 AFP