Craig Wright’s claim to have created Bitcoin took the latest in a line of twists this week when, according to prominent Bitcoin trader Tone Vays, he said “either I am Satoshi, or Satoshi plagiarized me.” Wright’s comments allegedly came in a fireside chat at the London CC Forum on blockchain following a panel that featured the pair alongside Brock Pierce, Bobby Lee, and Noted crypto skeptic Nouriel Roubini. Wright’s comments stirred up the usual hornet’s nest around his claims to have created Bitcoin, which have never stood up to scrutiny.
So CSW “FakeToshi” just admitted on stage that Satoshi plagiarized his paper from 2008 that the university is not releasing until he wins the court case ?.
* I’m sure someone has the video pic.twitter.com/WnAbrvapEB— Tone Vays [Bali – Financial Summit] (@ToneVays) October 16, 2019
Wright’s Comments Taken out of Context?
Vays, who wore a provocative t-shirt stating ‘We are all Satoshi, except for Craig Wright’ to the discussion, tweeted about Wright’s claim that if he is not Satoshi then the latter copied his whitepaper, clearly in disbelief about the comment:
So CSW “FakeToshi” just admitted on stage that Satoshi plagiarized his paper from 2008 that the university is not releasing until he wins the court case ?.
* I’m sure someone has the video pic.twitter.com/WnAbrvapEB— Tone Vays [Bali – Financial Summit] (@ToneVays) October 16, 2019
Vays’ take was criticized however by another attendee at the event, who saw it slightly differently:
In the later discussion with Mike Beaver, Tone Vays manipulates this wording of CSW to argue CSW admitted he did not write the whitepaper. I find it beyond belief how such distortion can occur from anyone capable of thought. It’s laughable.
CSW #Bitcoin $BSV
Satoshi Nakamoto pic.twitter.com/oAMrzjt7Qc— $DiegoSV ?? (@Diegoioisp) October 16, 2019
The posts naturally stirred up a range of responses from Wright’s detractors and supporters, with some offering to translate what Wright was trying to say while others saw it as further evidence of nothing other than Wright’s ego:
“Either I am Satoshi or Satoshi plagiarised me.”
If you trolls misunderstand what Craig is saying, that’s your issue.
Let me translate.
“I am Satoshi. Further proof on its way shortly.”
— Satoshi’s Disciple (₿) (@Satoshis_D) October 16, 2019
How could he be part of the original team when he claims to of written the whitepaper himself, and only to of had a little bit of help from others? I’ve not seen any evidence that links him to the origins of Bitcoin but lots that suggests he makes things up.
— Steve (@stephenarees) October 16, 2019
Another commenter pointed out that due to Wright’s continual insistence that he is Satoshi Nakamoto, not only does that show that he has started referring to himself in the third person, but he is also accusing himself of plagiarizing his own paper.
“Pumpkin Man” Wright Accused of Being a Mole
Wright, who in August was accused of being “belligerent and evasive” by the judge in his court case against the estate of Dave Kleiman, offered no new evidence to back up his claim that he created Bitcoin, and only served to get the event’s name into the press, which was probably why he was invited in the first place. In a speaking ‘duel’ with macro economist and global growth investor Mike Beaver, Wright continually avoided answering the questions asked of him and instead went on long diatribes about the prowess of his BSV project over the rest of the cryptocurrencies in the space, frequently addressing the crowd rather than his sparring partner.
Later in the duel, Vays and Wright clashed again, with Vays debating from the audience over Wright’s legitimacy to be on stage to discuss Bitcoin in the first place, before the events took a surreal twist as another audience member really let loose at Wright, calling him “pumpkin man Craig” as she accused him of being a mole, planted to bring down Bitcoin. All in all it was an unsavory end to an episode that only served to highlight the lack of maturity that still abounds in the space.