There is a lot of talk about the future of Bitcoin. Investors are betting terabytes of blockchain data on the future value of this cryptocurrency. But does it have what it takes to survive?
In this article, we explore whether or not Bitcoin can survive without its crown prince: Craig Wright. He has been a figure in both Bitcoin’s public and private life for years now, but his recent disappearance from public life has left many wondering where he went and if he’ll make an imminent return. Solflare wallet
The answer might just lie in his own past. If a life spent scamming, forgery and fraud could be used to predict his future, then the outlook for Bitcoin isn’t too bright.
The life and crimes of Craig Wright
Let’s start by looking at what we know about the man who claims to be Satoshi Nakamoto.
Wright first began asking others if he was the creator of Bitcoin in late 2015. He claimed that it was only a matter of time before people discovered his secret due to closer scrutiny of the Bitcoin’s blockchain.
The creation of Bitcoin was a matter of the utmost secrecy to him, with most of the details hidden from the public. This is likely because he had spent years forging identities and claiming to be someone else. Once he was done with his forgeries, he would destroy them so as to avoid being caught.
In order to create Bitcoin, Wright used some of the identities that he had created previously. He claimed that as an Australian citizen living in New Zealand, he had a close connection with Daniel Kelman who helped him oversea his Bitcoin projects. He also cited a friend who introduced him to Hal Finney, an early developer of cryptographic currencies like PGP and Bitzeny.
An early, false claim to fame
His forgery game was strong. He even managed to get a written testimony from Finney himself, who allegedly said:
“I have good reason to believe that Craig Steven Wright is the person known as Satoshi Nakamoto.”
He then created a website where he presented himself as the creator of Bitcoin. In turn, he received media attention and public recognition. However, some began to doubt his claims because he lacked proof to back up his statements and many of the details about his background were either made up or exaggerated.
Whether or not Wright created Bitcoin is still a mystery to this day. There are claims that he was only Satoshi after he claimed to have been live on the Bitcoin block chain in December 2015. But no one has ever been able to find any evidence for this event.
Wright has also had a long history of creating new identities. In 2011, he created a new identity, which led him to be known as Dr. Craig S Wright, PhD in physics and meteorology at Monash University in Melbourne. This identity is said to have been used by a researcher who was tied to the GCHQ, which is Britain’s equivalent of the NSA.
In addition, Wright claimed to have stolen money from Australian government body TasTAFE for research. He said that he faked his identity in order to receive the money and spent it on Bitcoin. Many remain skeptical of these claims even today, with many noting that Wright has never been seen without something in his hands at all times.
The most recent incident we know of occurred in early April 2017 when Wright appeared at an event claiming to be Satoshi. He was quickly escorted out by security because they believed he wasn’t who he said he was.
