Meet The Aussie Bloke Who Apparently Invented Bitcoin

Ending years of speculation as to his true identity, supposed creator of Bitcoin Satoshi Nakamoto has today outed himself as Australian entrepreneur and computer scientist Craig Wright.

Bitcoin is a decentralized virtual currency used for direct peer to peer transfers with no intermediary and is ‘mined’ by computers lending their processing power to verify and record payments into the system’s public ledger.

Proving himself as the Bitcoin’s originator by signing a message with a ‘key’ linked to the first coins ‘Satoshi’ mined and then traded back in 2008, Wright acknowledged that while he did have help from others, he was the central figure leading the currency’s creation. Outing himself due to pressure from the Australian Taxation Office – who raided his home last year – Wright is clear that he is being forced out of the shadows.

“I have not [come out as Nakamoto] because it is what I wanted. It’s not because of my choice. I want to work, I want to keep doing what I want to do. I don’t want money. I don’t want fame. I don’t want adoration. I just want to be left alone,” he told the BBC.

Sitting on an estimated US $450M worth of Bitcoin, you can see why the taxman might be interested in getting to know him a little better. Still some are still suspicious of Wright’s admission, claiming that his use of the ‘key’ isn’t enough to prove he’s Nakamoto.

Whatever the outcome, though, I for one am proud that an Aussie seems to have played a hand in all this. Now it’s time to get me some of this sweet, sweet internet monies.

Anyway have a look at him speaking to the beebs here below.