Australian businessman says he created Bitcoin

On Monday, Craig Wright released evidence purporting to prove that he is "Satoshi Nakamoto," the pseudonymous inventor of digital currency Bitcoin. Wright, an Australian computer scientist and entrepreneur, told BBC News and The Economist that he was coming forward reluctantly. "I have not done this because it is what I wanted," he told BBC News. "It's not because of my choice." Wired and Gizmodo claimed Wright was the Bitcoin founder in December, though there has been a history of mispointed fingers: A March 2014 report in Newsweek wrongly identified Dorian S. Nakamoto, a California physicist, as the Bitcoin founder.

Along with the BBC and The Economist, Wright shared his evidence beforehand with GQ. It includes digital coins that only Satoshi Nakamoto would have, including "blocks used to send 10 Bitcoins to Hal Finney in January [2009] as the first Bitcoin transaction," Wright said, referring to a renowned cryptographer he says helped turn Bitcoin into reality. "I was the main part of it, but other people helped me," he added. BBC News spoke with Bitcoin experts who believe that Wright really is Nakamoto, but The Economist is a little skeptical.

"Our conclusion is that he could well be Mr. Nakamoto, but that nagging questions remain," The Economist said. "In fact, it may never be possible to prove beyond reasonable doubt who really created Bitcoin. Whether people, particularly Bitcoin cognoscenti, actually believe Mr. Wright will depend greatly on what he does next, after going public." Wright did tell The Economist where he came up with the name, citing the 17th century Japanese philosopher and merchant Tomonaga Nakamoto, a free trade proponent, though he wouldn't reveal where "Satoshi" came from ("Some things should remain secret," Wright said).

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The Economist also points out that the Bitcoin community is enmeshed in a big debate about the direction the cryptocurrency should take, and that if Wright is accepted as Nakamoto, "his return from obscurity would most certainly change the dynamics of the debate about Bitcoin’s future direction." You can watch Wright talk to BBC News below. Peter Weber