The longstanding mystery of who invented the Bitcoin virtual currency appears to have been solved.
There are currently 15.5 million Bitcoins in circulation, with each one worth around £306. These Bitcoins are accepted as payment for a variety of goods and services, with a key appeal for their use being the anonymity they grant.
Ever since the initial creation and release of the Bitcoin in 2009, there have been questions as to the digital currency’s provenance.
It’s long been associated with one Satoshi Nakamoto, although this was eventually revealed to be a pseudonym. After various investigations and numerous theories, a consensus seemed to have been reached that Australian entrepeneur Craig Wright was the true author of the Bitcoin.
The man himself, however, has never admitted this to be the case. Until now.
In a filmed interview with the BBC, Wright has finally confirmed that he is indeed the father of Bitcoin – or at least “the main part of it,” with help from other parties.
Wright has provided technical proof to back up his claim, including evidence that he was behind the first ever Bitcoin transaction in 2009.
Shortly after Wright went public with his admission, chief scientist at the Bitcoin Foundation Gavin Andresen wrote a blog post supporting his claim. One of the founding directors of the Bitcoin Foundation, Jon Matonis, also gave his support to Wright.
Asked why he had decided to reveal himself to the world, Wright said: “I didn’t decide. I had people decide this matter for me. They’re making life difficult not for me, but my friends, my family, my staff.”
Related: What is Bitcoin?
Wright also insisted that he wasn’t interested in making money from his admission. “I don’t want money, I don’t want fame, I don’t want adoration. I just want to be left alone,” he said.
He also insisted that he would “never accept a cent” from any awards committee for the creation of Bitcoin.
Wright claimed that this was the only interview he would ever give on the matter, though GQ and The Economist also received the confirmation.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
