True identity of anonymous Bitcoin founder ‘Satoshi Nakamoto’ could finally be revealed in court
It's a story that sounds more like a plot of a movie than real life - and in the latest twist to the tale, the real identity of Bitcoin founder 'Satoshi Nakamoto' could finally be revealed in court.
First, let's rewind to where this all began.
Back in 2008, pseudonymous cryptocurrency inventor Nakamoto released Bitcoin into the world with a white paper he wrote - changing the way we see money. If you were wondering why he's not constantly in the headlines talking about cryptocurrency, that's because he disappeared, and to this day no one really knows who he is.
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Then came 2016, when an Aussie computer scientist called Craig Wright announced to the world that he was the real Nakamoto.
The problem is, few people were hugely convinced by his claim - and now we could be set to get an actual answer.
The Crypto Open Patent Alliance (Copa) - who strongly refutes Wright's claim - has asked the high court in London to rule once and for all whether Wright is Nakamoto.
The six-week trial has kicked off today, with Jonathan Hough KC for Copa saying in written submissions: “Copa’s case is, simply, that Dr Wright’s claim to be Satoshi is a lie, founded on an elaborate false narrative and backed by forgery of documents on an industrial scale.
“As his false documents and inconsistencies have been exposed, he has resorted to further forgery and ever more implausible excuses.”
He continued: “Dr Wright has consistently failed to supply genuine proof of his claim to be Satoshi: instead, he has repeatedly proffered documents which bear clear signs of having been doctored.”
The barrister added: “Once one aspect of Dr Wright’s story is discredited, he supplements it with yet further forgeries, moves his story in a different direction and casts blame on others, often casting lawyers and experts as his scapegoats, to take advantage of legal professional privilege.”
Wright doesn't seem to be budging and maintains he created Bitcoin - but he doesn't have particularly nice things to say about the cryptocurrency now. His pinned post on X (formerly known as Twitter) reads: "I conceived Bitcoin, and I unveiled it to the world. However, in BTC, they've torn it asunder. I've chosen to forsake BTC because I won't allow it to exist in a grotesque form, both in its physical embodiment and its underlying connotations."
With secret identities and courtroom battles all to do with crypto, we're pretty certain this tale is ripe for a miniseries - Netflix, we hope you're watching.