Satoshi Files: CSW’s Prediction of Bitcoin Fork Raises Questions

Self-proclaimed Satoshi, Craig Wright [CSW], has submitted new documents endorsing his assertion to the Bitcoin creator. Dated December 2008, the file called Maths.doc. contains a reference to Bitcoin Cash [BCH]. Bitcoin Cash was not created until 2017 and is one of Wright’s primary sources to support his claim as the real Satoshi. If proven true, CSW would have rightfully predicted that Bitcoin would have a fork into BCH back in 2008.

CSW also submitted another piece of notepaper as evidence, with a supposed date of August 2007 and various plans about Bitcoin. When faced with opposition from COPA lawyers who argued that this type of notepaper was not produced until around 2012, CSW refuted that claim, saying he knew better than the paper manufacturer because he used to work at Staples Below is an image of the notepaper used as evidence.

CSW also disclosed that he came up with the name Satoshi in 2008 and cited a document that said “Nakamoto is the Japanese Adam Smith” to support his claim. However, COPA lawyers contended that the numerals for the number “08” are slightly smaller than the numerals “20” in the document.

In the three weeks that ensued, COPA attorneys accused Wright of forging the documents. Armed with forensic experts, attorney Jonathan Hough questioned, “This document’s metadata lists a ‘last edit time’ of years and our expert says this means it’s manipulated, isn’t that right, Dr. Wright?” or “This OpenOffice document’s timestamp is from a time before the version used to create it was released. It’s a forgery, isn’t that right?”

Craig Wright’s Bid for Satoshi’s Billions

The Crypto Open Patent Alliance [COPA], a group spearheaded by Square, is suing Wright in a UK court The group asserted that Wright’s campaign is an “existential threat” to Bitcoin as developers fear the litigious risks of working on code for the cryptocurrency’s blockchain in case he wins. Wright would also be a legal heir to £3.1 billion worth of Bitcoin in wallets belonging to Satoshi, Copa said.

Earlier, a series of email conversations between British cryptographer Adam Back and Nakamoto were entered into the court records. Back’s complete email history sheds light on behind-the-scenes developments four months before its official launch.

Lipika Deka: Lipika is a crypto-journalist at TWJ. A graduate in economics and finance, she has a keen interest in the political and socio-economic facets of blockchain technology and the cryptocurrency industry.