Creator Of bitcoin’ Denies Involvement With Digital Currency

Dorian Prentice Satoshi Nakamoto denied Thursday that he is the creator of bitcoin.

Newsweek published a 4,500-word cover story claiming Nakamoto is the person who wrote the computer code underpinnings of bitcoin, but in an exclusive two-hour interview with The Associated Press, Nakamoto denied he had anything to do with the digital currency.

Nakamoto, 64, said he had never heard of bitcoin until his son told him he had been contacted by a Newsweek reporter three weeks ago. He acknowledged that many of the details in Newsweek’s report are correct, including that he once worked for a defense contractor, and that his given name at birth was Satoshi. But he strongly disputed the magazine’s assertion that he is “the face behind bitcoin.”

“I got nothing to do with it,” he said, repeatedly.

KCAL9′s Dave Bryan spoke with Nakamoto outside of his home in Temple City, where media from around the world were camped out Thursday.

Nakamoto, after walking to the KCAL9 News van, reiterated that he is the wrong guy.

“I have nothing to do with bitcoin. I never worked for the company. I don’t know any people there. I never had a contract there or anything like that. I wasn’t even aware of the product,” he said.

Nakamoto did not deny his past work as an engineer, and confirmed he would have been capable of understanding the computer code necessary to built such a project. But he insisted he’s not responsible for coding the currency.

“If I say yes, I could get in trouble. Alright? So, I’ll say no. Alright? I was an engineer before but that was many years ago,” he said.

“I never created a code. I never created a concept. I just believed that somebody – it could have been designed this way, to put my name in there. Satoshi Nakamoto is not that common [of a] name. But it’s not uncommon,” he continued.

Nakamoto said that at the time bitcoin was founded, around 2001, he was working as a government contractor, not working on bitcoin.

Newsweek stands by its story.

The journalist who wrote the article, Leah McGrath Goodman, released the following statement: “I stand by my exchange with Mr. Nakamoto. There was no confusion whatsoever about the context of our conversation and his acknowledgment of his involvement in bitcoin.”

SOURCE: CBS News