The identity of the creator of Bitcoin has remained shrouded in mystery for years. The name Satoshi Nakamoto was credited to have created the virtual currency, but it is widely believed to be a mere pseudonym. A raid in Australia Wednesday, however, has probably unmasked the person behind the name.
The Australian police searched the home of a man named Craig Steven Wright, an entrepreneur and academic, in connection with an investigation being conducted by the Australian Taxation Office, according to Gizmodo. Authorities refuse to confirm that the raid is tied to the cryptocurrency. However, reports indicate - based on documents and correspondence between Wright and Australian tax officials - that he could be the person behind Nakamoto, the author of the white paper that launched Bitcoin.
Three blog entries, all dating back days before Bitcoin was introduced, were cited as evidence that link Wright with Bitcoin. These posts talked about a cryptocurrency and an imminent white paper publication that was explained with bitcoin-like ideas, Wired reported. Several leaked emails also established that Wright worked with Dave Kleiman, an American computer forensics expert to create Bitcoin.
"I did my best to try and hide the fact that I've been running bitcoin since 2009," Wright said in a leaked transcript obtained by Wired. "By the end of this I think half the world is going to bloody know."
Bitcoin is now a huge currency, with a decentralized governance, and it continues to soar in value, as HNGN previously reported. As its possible creator, Wright could be worth as much as $380 million, according to The Guardian.
