The Aussie Dude Who Said He Invented Bitcoin Is “Sorry” And Backing Away Slowly From His Claim

This is… confusing.

Earlier in the week, Aussie entrepreneur Craig Wright stepped out from the shadows, following months of hounding, to admit that he was indeed the inventor of Bitcoin.

The name “Satoshi Nakamoto” has long been used as a pseudonym for Bitcoin’s creator. Wright told the BBC, the Economist and GQ that it was actually he who was behind the online currency, adding that he could prove his claim by moving some money from the very early days of Bitcoin, with a private key known only to Nakamoto.

Though Chief Scientist at the Bitcoin Foundation, Gavin Andresen, was “convinced beyond a reasonable doubt” that Wright was the real Nakamoto, some security experts were more dubious, saying the information provided to date was “maliciously resistant” to validation.

Now, in a kinda chilling new post to DrCraigWright.net, the Brisbane-based techy has announced his retreat back into the shadows.

“I believed that I could do this,” he wrote.

“I believed that I could put the years of anonymity and hiding behind me. But, as the events of this week unfolded and I prepared to publish the proof of access to the earliest keys, I broke. I do not have the courage. I cannot.”

It’s not known whether or not Wright is backing away from his claims of inventing Bitcoin – and owning $AUD601m worth of the suckers – because it isn’t true, or because he can’t withstand the scrutiny.

The closing lines do not offer any clarity.

“I can only say I’m sorry. And goodbye.”

Photo: BBC.