Craig Steven Wright, an Australian entrepreneur and self-declared cyber security expert, has claimed to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of bitcoin.
自称网络安全专家的澳大利亚企业家克雷格•史蒂芬•赖特(Craig Steven Wright)宣布自己就是化名“中本聪”(Satoshi Nakamoto)的比特币创造者。
The announcement, if true, would end years of speculation about who is responsible for creating the digital currency. Until now, Mr Wright had never publicly confirmed or denied allegations that he was Mr Nakamoto.
这一声明如果属实,将终结围绕是谁创造这种数字货币的多年猜测。此前赖特从未公开证实或否认有关他是中本聪的说法。
On Monday, Mr Wright published a blog post claiming to offer cryptographic proof that he is the creator of the digital currency.
周一,赖特发表博客声称提供加密证据,证明他就是比特币的创造者。
Reflecting on a quote from philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, and before explaining the process of verifying a set of cryptographic keys, Mr Wright said in his post: “Since those early days, after distancing myself from the public persona that was Satoshi, I have poured every measure of myself into research. I have been silent, but I have not been absent. I have been engaged with an exceptional group and look forward to sharing our remarkable work when they are ready.”
赖特在博文中回顾了哲学家让-保罗•萨特(Jean-Paul Sartre)的一句话,接着在解释一组加密密钥的验证过程之前写道:“自从在最初的日子,我与‘中本聪’这个公共形象拉开距离后,将自己的全部精力投入研究中。我一直沉默,但从未置身事外。我一直在与一群杰出的人共事,期待在时机成熟时分享我们出色的成果。”
The BBC and The Economist were given access to Mr Wright ahead of the announcement on the condition that they did not publish their articles before his post.
英国广播公司(BBC)和《经济学人》(The Economist)已在这份声明前采访过赖特,条件是不得在他发布这篇博客前发表新闻。
The Economist said: “Our conclusion is that Mr Wright could well be Mr Nakamoto, but that important questions remain. Indeed, it may never be possible to establish beyond reasonable doubt who really created bitcoin.”
《经济学人》表示:“我们的结论是赖特很可能是中本聪,但那个重要的问题依然未解决。的确,对于谁才是比特币真正创造者的猜测,可能永远无法排除合理怀疑。”
In December, Mr Wright was identified as Mr Nakamoto in stories by Wired and Gizmodo that pointed to supposedly leaked emails and documents claiming proof he and a colleague, the late Dave Kleiman, were the co-inventors of the cryptocurrency.
去年12月,《连线》(Wired)和Gizmodo发布报道,指认赖特就是中本聪。这些报道指向一些据称的泄露电子邮件和文件,据以证明赖特与其同事——已故的戴夫•克莱曼(Dave Kleiman)——是这种加密货币的共同发明人。
Hours after the publication of those stories, Mr Wright’s home in a leafy suburb of Sydney’s north shore and his work premises were raided by Australian federal police in connection with an investigation by the Australian Tax Office. Neighbours told the Financial Times at the time that Mr Wright and his family had already moved to London.
这些报道公布数小时后,因涉及澳大利亚税务局一项调查,澳大利亚联邦警察搜查了赖特的家与办公场所。赖特家位于悉尼北岸一个青翠郊区,他的邻居当时对英国《金融时报》表示,赖特和他的家人已经迁居伦敦。
Jon Matonis, a founding director of the Bitcoin Foundation, published a blog on Monday saying he had been in contact with Wright since June last year and in the lead up to a “private proof session in late March 2016”.
比特币基金会(Bitcoin Foundation)创始董事乔恩•马托尼斯(Jon Matonis)在周一发表了一篇博客,称自己从去年6月起就一直与赖特接触,最后在“2016年3月下旬举行了一次私下证明会”。
Mr Matonis wrote on his blog: “During the London proof sessions, I had the opportunity to review the relevant data along three distinct lines: cryptographic, social, and technical. Based on what I witnessed, it is my firm belief that Craig Steven Wright satisfies all three categories.”
马托尼斯在博客中写道:“在伦敦证明会期间,我有机会顺着三条主线评估相关数据:加密、社交和技术。基于我亲眼所见,我坚信克雷格•史蒂芬•赖特满足所有三大条件。”