Ripple’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO) David Schwartz ignited a heated debate by questioning the identity of Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin. The controversy unfolded when a prominent Bitcoin community member, known by the alias «Ryuushi,» suggested that despite recent legal setbacks, Craig Wright remains the most probable candidate to be Nakamoto.
This assertion sparked a fiery response from Schwartz, who dismissed it as «complete nonsense.» He highlighted Wright’s failure to provide conclusive evidence of his identity as Nakamoto during the trial, emphasizing that other individuals, including himself, had no such motive to falsely claim authorship of Bitcoin.
This is complete nonsense. Craig had strong incentive to prove he was Satoshi and failed to do so. Many others have had no such incentive. I’m more likely to be Satoshi than Craig is.
— David «JoelKatz» Schwartz (@JoelKatz) April 16, 2024
Interestingly, Schwartz’s rebuttal reignited speculation surrounding his own potential connection to Nakamoto. Citing his extensive background in cryptography, dating back to the early days of the field, some theorists have posited him as a plausible candidate for Nakamoto’s identity. Schwartz’s involvement in pioneering patents related to distributed ledger technology further fueled speculation.
Despite these theories, Schwartz has consistently denied any association with Nakamoto, maintaining that he is solely an architect of XRP Ledger, distinct from Bitcoin’s genesis.
What’s up with Craig Wright?
The dispute surrounding Wright’s claims to the coveted title of Bitcoin’s creator continues. Despite Wright’s legal battles, the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) recently scored a victory when a judge ruled against Wright’s assertion that he is Nakamoto.
COPA, an organization dedicated to safeguarding the open-source nature of cryptocurrencies, seeks further injunctions to prevent Wright from making further claims and pursuing litigation in the crypto community.