Bitcoin inventor revealed as Australian Craig Wright

Australian businessman Craig Wright has revealed he is the man behind the cryptocurrency Bitcoin, ending years of speculation.

Bitcoin’s code was released in 2009 under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, and the true identity of Nakamoto was increasingly hard-sought as the virtual currency gained traction.

Bitcoin was the top performing currency last year, according to The Money Project, and one Bitcoin is currently worth about $456.

Wright used coins known to belong to the currency’s founder as a means of backing up his claim, the BBC reports.

He told the British broadcaster that the search for the true identity of Bitcoin’s founder had spurred him into making the announcement, saying: “There are lots of stories out there that have been made up and I don’t like it hurting those people I care about.”

“I have not done this because it is what I wanted,” he said of the revelation, adding that he does not want fame, but instead wants to “keep doing what I want to do”.

After tech magazines Wired and Gizmodo published claims in late 2015 that Wright was the probable creator of Bitcoin, his Sydney home was subjected to a search by Australian authorities as part of a tax investigation.

An Australian Federal Police officer closes the door of the garage after searching the home of probable creator of cryptocurrency bitcoin Craig Steven Wright in Sydney’s north shore December 9, 2015. 

Australian Federal Police officers walk down the driveway after searching the home of probable creator of cryptocurrency bitcoin Craig Steven Wright in Sydney’s north shore December 9, 2015.

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