Craig Wright

Craig Wright is an Australian computer scientist that has publicly claimed to be Bitcoin inventor Satoshi Nakamoto.

There are many theories on who is behind the creation of Bitcoin and the mysterious pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. One person in particular claims that he was the creator all along — Craig Wright. Fifty-year-old Craig Steven Wright is an Australian computer scientist who has worked in an IT capacity for several high-profile companies as well as the Australian Securities Exchange.

In 2015, Wright was the subject of a piece by Wired magazine that outed him as a possible inventor of Bitcoin. After Wired released this information, Wright’s Australian home was raided by federal police, who later claimed that the Australian Taxation Office ordered the raid.

Wright has since claimed that he is indeed Satoshi Nakamoto, and there is some cryptographic evidence to back this. Digital messages with Wright’s name are allegedly linked to early blocks of data that Bitcoin’s founder had mined. However, many have reported that this is a hoax, and Wright grafted these signatures by reusing Satoshi’s original.

Wright claims that he created Bitcoin in a group effort along with cryptographers Dave Klieman and Hal Finney (who created the first proof-of-work algorithm before Bitcoin). It is quite possible that these three could have created the first cryptocurrency based on their combined skillsets. However, many consider Wright’s involvement in Bitcoin’s creation to be a hoax.

Despite making the claims that he is behind the pseudonym Satoshi, Wright has not come forth with any clarifying evidence. Although Wright is an exceedingly interesting person, the hunt for the real Satoshi Nakamoto is still in effect.