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Wright has said bitcoin's creation was a group effort, that he drove the project, and that [[Dave Kleiman]] and [[Hal Finney (computer scientist)|Hal Finney]] were involved.<ref>{{cite news|publisher=Finder.com.au|url=https://www.finder.com/dr-craig-wright-explains-the-origins-of-bitcoin-full-interview|title=Dr. Craig Wright explains the origins of Bitcoin – Full interview|date=2019-04-30|accessdate=May 1, 2019|first=Fred|last=Schebesta}}</ref>
Wright has said bitcoin's creation was a group effort, that he drove the project, and that [[Dave Kleiman]] and [[Hal Finney (computer scientist)|Hal Finney]] were involved.<ref>{{cite news|publisher=Finder.com.au|url=https://www.finder.com/dr-craig-wright-explains-the-origins-of-bitcoin-full-interview|title=Dr. Craig Wright explains the origins of Bitcoin – Full interview|date=2019-04-30|accessdate=May 1, 2019|first=Fred|last=Schebesta}}</ref>

On May 20, 2019, the U.S. Copyright Office published notices that Wright had been issued certificates of copyright registration for both the Bitcoin white paper<ref>{{cite web |title=Copyright - Library of Congress |url=https://cocatalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v1=8&ti=1,8&Search_Arg=bitcoin&Search_Code=TALL&CNT=25&PID=8YeSxz-Mt2xTN_qdmo2gMEQzIEOsU&SEQ=20190521122755&SID=1 |website=cocatalog.loc.gov |accessdate=22 May 2019}}</ref> authored by Satoshi Nakamoto and for version 0.1 of the Bitcoin software<ref>{{cite web |title=Copyright - Library of Congress |url=https://cocatalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v1=6&ti=1,6&Search_Arg=bitcoin&Search_Code=TALL&CNT=25&PID=8YeSxz-Mt2xTN_qdmo2gMEQzIEOsU&SEQ=20190521122755&SID=1 |website=cocatalog.loc.gov |accessdate=22 May 2019}}</ref>.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kharif |first1=Ogla |last2=Yasiejko |first2=Christopher |title=Man Who Claims To Be Bitcoin’s Inventor Registers Copyright for Its Code |url=https://www.bloombergquint.com/bitcoin/bitcoin-s-supposed-inventor-says-he-won-copyright-registration |website=BloombergQuint |accessdate=22 May 2019 |language=en}}</ref>


===Legal issues===
===Legal issues===

Revision as of 03:06, 22 May 2019

Craig Steven Wright
BornOctober 1970 (age 54)[1]
Brisbane, Australia
NationalityAustralian
Alma materCharles Sturt University
OccupationComputer scientist

Craig Steven Wright (born October 1970)[2] is an Australian computer scientist and businessman. He has publicly claimed to be the main part of the team that created bitcoin, and the identity behind the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. These claims are widely regarded as a possible hoax. He registered a copyright in the Unites States for Bitcoin’s whitepaper[3][4][5][6][7][8][9] even though this had happened before.[10]

Early life and education

Wright graduated from high school in 1987 from Padua College in Brisbane.[11] Wright was an adjunct academic[12] and researcher at Charles Sturt University, where he was working on his PhD entitled "The quantification of information systems risk".[13][14][15]

According to Wright, he has a doctorate in theology, comparative religious and classical studies, that was achieved in 2003 with a dissertation titled "Gnarled roots of a creation theory",[16][11] although he has not stated which institution granted this doctorate. Wright claimed to have a PhD in computer science from Charles Sturt University on his LinkedIn profile as of 2015; but the university told Forbes that it only awarded him two master's degrees and not a doctorate.[9] Wright's Ph.D from CSU was finally awarded in February 2017.[17]

Wright has written or co-written several books, including The IT Regulatory and Standards Compliance Handbook: How to Survive Information Systems Audit and Assessments.[18] Wright has been a trustee of the Uniting Church in New South Wales.[11]

Career and businesses

Wright worked in information technology for various companies, including OzEmail, K-Mart and the Australian Securities Exchange,[19] as well as working as a security consultant for Mahindra & Mahindra.[20] He claims to have designed the architecture for possibly the world's first online casino, Lasseter's Online (based in Alice Springs, Northern Territory), which went online in 1999.[21][22][23] He was the information systems manager for the accounting firm BDO Kendalls.[19][24][25]

In 2004, Wright was convicted of contempt of court by the Supreme Court of New South Wales. He was sentenced to 28 days in jail for breaching an injunction that prevented him from approaching customers of DeMorgan Information Security Systems, from which he resigned in 2003. The sentence was suspended on condition of performing 250 hours of community service. After appealing the decision, the ruling was upheld in 2005 and also in a subsequent appeal to the High Court of Australia in 2006.[26][27]

Wright was the CEO of the technology firm Hotwire Preemptive Intelligence Group (Hotwire PE),[28][29][30] which planned to launch Denariuz Bank, the world's first bitcoin-based bank, though it encountered regulatory difficulties with the Australian Tax Office and failed in 2014.[31][32] Wright is the founder of cryptocurrency company DeMorgan Ltd., which claimed to receive $54 million AUD in tax incentives via AusIndustry.[33][34][35] He is also the founder of the cybersecurity and computer forensics company Panopticrypt Pty Ltd.[36][37][38]

Bitcoin

See also: Satoshi Nakamoto § Craig Wright

In December 2015, two parallel investigations by Wired and Gizmodo alleged that Wright may have been the inventor of bitcoin.[39][40] Subsequent reporting, however, raised concerns that Wright was engaged in an elaborate hoax.[41][42][43]

Hours after Wired published their allegations, Wright's home in Gordon, New South Wales and an associated business premise in Ryde, New South Wales were raided by the Australian Federal Police.[44][45][46][47] According to the AFP, the raid was part of an Australian Tax Office investigation.[48][49]

On 2 May 2016, The BBC and The Economist published articles claiming that Wright had digitally signed messages using cryptographic keys created during the early days of bitcoin's development. The keys are inextricably linked to blocks of bitcoins known to have been created or "mined" by Satoshi Nakamoto. Jon Matonis, in a blog post,[50] stated "For cryptographic proof in my presence, Craig signed and verified a message using the private key from block #1 newly-generated coins and from block #9 newly-generated coins (the first transaction to Hal Finney)." Gavin Andresen said that he performed a careful cryptographic verification of messages signed, [by Craig], with keys that only Satoshi should possess.[51]

The same day a blog post on the website www.drcraigwright.net associated Wright with Satoshi and posted a message with a cryptographic signature attached.[52][53][54][55] Security researcher Dan Kaminsky said in his blog that Wright's claim was a scam and bitcoin developer Jeff Garzik agreed that evidence publicly provided by Wright does not prove anything.[56] Jordan Pearson and Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai said that, "Wright simply reused an old signature from a bitcoin transaction performed in 2009 by Satoshi."[56]

Afterwards, Wright said that he decided not to present any further evidence to prove that he is the creator of bitcoin. In a message posted on his website, Wright wrote:

I believed that I could do this. 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. When the rumours began, my qualifications and character were attacked. When those allegations were proven false, new allegations have already begun. I know now that I am not strong enough for this. I know that this weakness will cause great damage to those that have supported me, and particularly to Jon Matonis and Gavin Andresen. I can only hope that their honour and credibility is not irreparably tainted by my actions. They were not deceived, but I know that the world will never believe that now. I can only say I’m sorry. And goodbye.[57]

Earlier in an exclusive interview with the BBC, Wright had promised to give "extraordinary proof to an extraordinary claim."[58] He has yet to provide any verifiable evidence of his authorship of the original Satoshi whitepaper or collaboration with known early developers and refuses, or is unable, to provide the one piece of evidence which would prove his claim, the original Satoshi Nakamoto GPG private key.[59][60] On Thursday, 5 May 2016, shortly before closing his blog, Wright sent around an email link to a news story site saying "Craig Wright faces criminal charges and serious jail time in UK". Wright stated that "I am the source of terrorist funds as bitcoin creator or I am a fraud to the world. At least a fraud is able to see his family. There is nothing I can do."[61]

In June 2016, the London Review of Books published an article by Andrew O'Hagan about the events, based on his book "The Secret Life: Three True Stories" in which O'Hagan spends several weeks with Wright at the request of Wright's public relations team; which, as revealed in the book, was set up as a result of a business deal between Wright and various individuals including Calvin Ayre after bitcoin was created. O'Hagan was with Wright during the time of his various media interviews. O'Hagan also interviews Wright's wife, colleagues and many of the other people involved in his claims.[61][62][63] . O'Hagan notes the claim that Wright provided an invalid private key because he was legally unable to provide the valid one as a result of legal obligations agreed as part of a Seychelles trust deal previously reached. O'Hagan's book also corroborates the suggestion that both Wright and David Kleiman were the identities of the moniker "Satoshi Nakamoto".

Wright has said bitcoin's creation was a group effort, that he drove the project, and that Dave Kleiman and Hal Finney were involved.[64]

On May 20, 2019, the U.S. Copyright Office published notices that Wright had been issued certificates of copyright registration for both the Bitcoin white paper[65] authored by Satoshi Nakamoto and for version 0.1 of the Bitcoin software[66].[67]

In February 2018 the estate of Dave Kleiman initiated a lawsuit at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida against Wright over the rights to US$5,118,266,427.50 worth of bitcoin claiming that Wright defrauded Kleiman of bitcoins and intellectual property rights.[68][69][70]

In May 2019 it was reported that Wright was using UK libel law to sue people who denied he was the inventor of bitcoin.[71]

References

  1. ^ Biggs, Tim (December 9, 2015). "Bitcoin's mysterious creator Satoshi Nakamoto could be Australian man Craig Steven Wright: report". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
  2. ^ "Denariuz Ltd 08260048 company information". Company Database UK. 2015.
  3. ^ Greenberg, Andy (2015-12-11). "New Clues Suggest Craig Wright, Suspected Bitcoin Creator, May Be a Hoaxer". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2019-04-09.
  4. ^ Perez, Yessi Bello (2019-03-18). "Inside Craig Wright's blockchain patent 'empire'". Hard Fork | The Next Web. Retrieved 2019-04-09.
  5. ^ "ATO probes Bitcoin 'creator'". www.theaustralian.com.au. 2016-01-20. Retrieved 2019-04-09.
  6. ^ Jeong, Sarah (2015-12-09). "Satoshi's PGP Keys Are Probably Backdated and Point to a Hoax". Motherboard. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
  7. ^ Lee, Timothy B. (2016-05-02). "Craig Wright really wants you to think he invented Bitcoin. Don't believe him". Vox. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
  8. ^ Pearson, Jordan; Maiberg, Emanuel (2018-05-23). "Craig Wright Isn't Mad, He's Actually Laughing After Public Beef at Blockchain Conference". Motherboard. Retrieved 2019-04-09.
  9. ^ a b Fox-Brewster, Thomas. "Time To Call A Hoax? Inconsistencies On 'Probable' Bitcoin Creator's PhD And Supercomputers Revealed". Forbes. Retrieved 2019-04-09.
  10. ^ "Headings Results". cocatalog.loc.gov. Retrieved 2019-05-22.
  11. ^ a b c Thomsen, Simon (9 December 2015). "The incredible career of the Australian scientist suspected of creating Bitcoin". Business Insider.
  12. ^ "New chase for Bitcoin founder leaves everyone exhausted and no wiser". Mashable. 10 December 2015.
  13. ^ "Effective Strategies to Manage People and Create Secure Low Risk Systems through Incentives That Work". Australian Computer Society. 2012. Archived from the original on 2015-12-11. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ "People – Advanced Networks Research Lab". Charles Sturt University.
  15. ^ Zia, Tanveer. "Research". Charles Sturt University.
  16. ^ Kaminska, Izabella (31 March 2016). "Craig Wright's upcoming big reveal". Financial Times. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  17. ^ "The quantification of information systems risk: A look at quantitative responses to information security issues". Charles Sturt University: Research outputs. 2017.
  18. ^ Wright, Craig S. (2008). The IT Regulatory and Standards Compliance Handbook: How to Survive Information Systems Audit and Assessments. Syngress. ISBN 9780080560175.
  19. ^ a b Pauli, Darren (22 August 2007). "Aussie achieves world's first audit certification". Computerworld. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  20. ^ Swan, David (9 December 2015). "Alleged bitcoin founder cops a raid". The Australian. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  21. ^ Liu, Dale, ed. (2009). Cisco Router and Switch Forensics: Investigating and Analyzing Malicious Network Activity. Syngress. p. ix. ISBN 9780080953847.
  22. ^ Wilkinson, John (September 1999). "Gaming Commissions, Internet Gambling and Responsible Gambling" (PDF). Parliament of New South Wales. pp. 28–29. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  23. ^ Foreshew, Jennifer (29 August 2013). "Hunted 'must become hunter' to combat cyber crime" (PDF). The Australian via Charles Sturt University. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  24. ^ Wright, Craig; Kleiman, Dave; Sundhar R.S., Shayaam (2008). "Overwriting Hard Drive Data: The Great Wiping Controversy". In Sekar, R. (ed.). Information Systems Security: 4th International Conference, ICISS 2008, Hyderabad, India, December 16–20, 2008, Proceedings. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 243.
  25. ^ Smith, Paul (27 February 2008). "Biometrics attracts few takers". CIO Magazine. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  26. ^ McDuling, John (2015-12-10). "Alleged bitcoin founder's dealings with the ASX and News Ltd got him in trouble". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
  27. ^ Farrell, Paul; Hunt, Elle; Evershed, Nick (2015-12-09). "Who is Craig Wright and how likely is it that he's behind bitcoin?". The Guardian. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
  28. ^ "Hotwire Preemptive Intelligence Pty Limited" (PDF). McGrathNicol. 26 May 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-12-08. Retrieved 2015-12-10. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  29. ^ Hotwire Preemptive Intelligence. "Hotwire Preemptive Intelligence". Facebook.
  30. ^ McDuling, John; Sier, Jessica (9 December 2015). "Bitcoin founder 'could definitely' be Australian". The Canberra Times. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  31. ^ Mitchell, James (7 March 2014). "Bitcoin bank hits ATO roadblock". InvestorDaily. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  32. ^ Tay, Liz (12 February 2014). "Aussie Technologists Plan To Open The World's First Bitcoin-Based Bank This Year". Business Insider. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  33. ^ Farquhar, Peter (December 8, 2015). "The Australian who may have invented Bitcoin claimed to land $54M in taxpayer-funded rebates". Business Insider. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  34. ^ Pedersen, Allan; Watts, Ramona (11 May 2015). "The Demorgan Ltd Group of Companies to Receive up to $54 Million from AusIndustry R&D Tax Rebate Sscheme" (PDF). DeMorgan Ltd.[permanent dead link‍]
  35. ^ Chirgwin, Richard (9 December 2015). "Bitcoin inventor Satoshi 'outed' as Aussie, then raided by cops – but NOT over BTC". The Register. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  36. ^ "About". Panopticrypt. January 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-11-24. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  37. ^ Panopticrypt Cyber Security and Forensics (12 January 2015). "Panopticrypt Intro with Dr Craig Wright (full version)". YouTube.
  38. ^ "Big Data World Show 2013" (PDF). Akademi Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (Malaysia Anti Corruption Academy). 2013. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-12-22. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  39. ^ Greenberg, Andy; Branwen, Gwern (December 8, 2015). "Bitcoin's Creator Satoshi Nakamoto Is Probably This Unknown Australian Genius". Wired. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  40. ^ Biddle, Sam; Cush, Andy (December 8, 2015). "This Australian Says He and His Dead Friend Invented Bitcoin". Gizmodo. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  41. ^ Greenberg, Andy (11 December 2015). "New Clues Suggest Craig Wright, Suspected Bitcoin Creator, May Be a Hoaxer". Wired.
  42. ^ Bustillos, Maria. "The Bizarre Saga of Craig Wright, the Latest "Inventor of Bitcoin"". The New Yorker. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  43. ^ Chanthadavong, Aimee (11 December 2015). "SGI denies links with alleged bitcoin founder Craig Wright". ZDNet.
  44. ^ Mihalcik, Carrie (10 December 2015). "Bitcoin whodunit leads to Oz". CNET.
  45. ^ "'Bitcoin founder's' Australia home raided by Sydney police". BBC News. 9 December 2015.
  46. ^ Johnson, Edward; Whitley, Angus (9 December 2015). "Police Raid Sydney Home of Man Who Reportedly Created Bitcoin". Bloomberg Businessweek.
  47. ^ Kaye, Byron (9 December 2015). "Australian police raid Sydney home of reported bitcoin creator". Reuters.
  48. ^ Hunt, Elle; Farrell, Paul (December 8, 2015). "Reported bitcoin 'founder' Craig Wright's home raided by Australian police". The Guardian. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  49. ^ "Bitcoin mystery: Home of man believed to be currency founder raided". The Daily Telegraph. December 9, 2015. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
  50. ^ "How I Met Satoshi". The Monetary Future. 2 May 2016.
  51. ^ "Satoshi • Gavin Andresen". Gavin Andresen on Svbtle. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
  52. ^ "Jean-Paul Sartre, Signing and Significance". drcraigwright.net. Archived from the original on 2016-05-02. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  53. ^ "Craig Wright Claims He's Bitcoin Creator Satoshi -- Experts Fear An Epic Scam". Forbes. 2 May 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  54. ^ "Craig Wright revealed as Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto". BBC. 2 May 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  55. ^ "Craig Steven Wright claims to be Satoshi Nakamoto. Is he?". Economist. 2 May 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  56. ^ a b "Craig Wright's New Evidence That He Is Satoshi Nakamoto Is Worthless". Motherboard.
  57. ^ Wright, Craig Steven. "Craig Steven Wright's website". Craig Wright. Archived from the original on 2016-05-05. Retrieved 5 May 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  58. ^ Cellan-Jones, Rory (3 May 2016). "The Bitcoin affair: Craig Wright promises extraordinary proof". BBC News. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  59. ^ "Craig Wright can't offer proof". Forbes. 5 May 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  60. ^ Pearson, Jordan (20 October 2017), "Craig Wright Couldn't Prove He Invented Bitcoin, But He's Back Anyway", Motherboard, retrieved 14 March 2018
  61. ^ a b Nakamoto, Andrew O’Hagan on the many lives of Satoshi (30 June 2016). "The Satoshi Affair". London Review of Books. pp. 7–28. ISSN 0260-9592. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  62. ^ "There could be a lot of money in claiming to have invented Bitoin". Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  63. ^ O'Hagan, Andrew (6 June 2017). The Secret Life: Three True Stories. Faber & Faber. ISBN 9780571335855.
  64. ^ Schebesta, Fred (2019-04-30). "Dr. Craig Wright explains the origins of Bitcoin – Full interview". Finder.com.au. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
  65. ^ "Copyright - Library of Congress". cocatalog.loc.gov. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  66. ^ "Copyright - Library of Congress". cocatalog.loc.gov. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  67. ^ Kharif, Ogla; Yasiejko, Christopher. "Man Who Claims To Be Bitcoin's Inventor Registers Copyright for Its Code". BloombergQuint. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  68. ^ Browne, Ryan (February 27, 2018). "Self-proclaimed bitcoin creator sued for allegedly stealing $5 billion worth of crypto, other assets". CNBC. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  69. ^ Pearson, Jordan (February 26, 2018). "The Man Who Claimed to Invent Bitcoin Is Being Sued for $10 Billion". Vice Media. Archived from the original on March 1, 2018.
  70. ^ Freedman, Velve Devin; Roche, Kyle (February 14, 2018). "IRA KLEIMAN, as the personal representative of the Estate of Dave Kleiman v. CRAIG WRIGHT" (PDF). DocumentCloud. Case 9:18-cv-80176-BB
  71. ^ Media Correspondent, Matthew Moore (7 May 2019). "Bitcoin 'creator' uses UK libel law to silence critics" – via www.thetimes.co.uk. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help); no-break space character in |last= at position 6 (help)
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