--- description: The creator of Bitcoin went by Satoshi Nakamoto, but technology experts believed that the name was only a pseudonym title: The Unmasking of Bitcoin's Creator Was a Long Time Coming image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5a62bd517a2fc7f8/6988915e5f570f04deb20b87/bitcoin-founder-reveals-identity.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Business](/section/business/) ## Business Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Tech](/tag/time-section-tech/) ## Tech Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # The Unmasking of Bitcoin Creator Craig Wright Was a Long Time Coming  by [Justin Worland](/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Senior Correspondent May 2, 2016 12:17 PM CUT  Bitcoin medals are seen in Washington, June 17, 2014\. On May 2, an Australian entrepreneur, identified as Craig Wright, revealed himself as the creator following years of speculation about who invented the pioneering digital currency. Bitcoin medals are seen in Washington, June 17, 2014\. On May 2, an Australian entrepreneur, identified as Craig Wright, revealed himself as the creator following years of speculation about who invented the pioneering digital currency.Karen Bleier—AFP/Getty Images  by [Justin Worland](/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Senior Correspondent May 2, 2016 12:17 PM CUT The creator of Bitcoin [revealed himself this week](http://time.com/4313869/bitcoins-creator-identify-craig-wright/?xid=homepage "undefined") as [Australian entrepreneur Craig Wright](http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-36168863 "undefined"), ending a hunt to unmask the inventor nearly as old the digital currency itself. The creator of Bitcoin went by the name Satoshi Nakamoto from the time the currency was invented in 2009, but technology experts believed that the name was only a pseudonym and speculated about the founder’s actual identity. Multiple investigations since then have come to different conclusions about who might actually have started the currency. A 2011 [story in the _New Yorker_](http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/10/10/the-crypto-currency "undefined") identified Finnish economist Vili Lehdonvirta and cryptography graduate student Michael Clear as two possibilities, but both denied it. That same year, [_Fast Company_](http://www.fastcompany.com/1785445/bitcoin-crypto-currency-mystery-reopened "undefined") suggested Neal King, Vladimir Oksman and Charles Bry as possible creators as they were listed on related patent applications. Those three also denied it. In 2013, the rumor mill picked up with Shinichi Mochizuki, a mathematician, Ross Ulbricht, infamous creator of the Silk Road site, and Gavin Andresen, a Bitcoin expert, all earning mentions as possibilities, according to a BBC [report](http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-36168864 "undefined"). A 2014 story in _Newsweek_ identified Dorian Satoshi Nakamoto as the founder, but the 64-year-old engineer said he had not even heard of the currency until told about it by his son. Finally, _Wired_ and _Gizmodo_ both got the name Craig Wright correct in December of last year after being shown some of his documents. Now, five months later, Wright has acknowledged it. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4313928/bitcoin-craig-steven-wright-satoshi-nakamoto/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4313928/bitcoin-craig-steven-wright-satoshi-nakamoto/"},"headline":"The Unmasking of Bitcoin Creator Craig Wright Was a Long Time Coming","datePublished":"2016-05-02T12:17:34.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T08:49:55.561Z","description":"There's a long list of people once thought to be the founder","url":"https://time.com/4313928/bitcoin-craig-steven-wright-satoshi-nakamoto/","keywords":["Tech","Innovation"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5a62bd517a2fc7f8/6988915e5f570f04deb20b87/bitcoin-founder-reveals-identity.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Justin Worland","jobTitle":"Senior Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/justin-worland/"}],"articleSection":"Business","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5a62bd517a2fc7f8/6988915e5f570f04deb20b87/bitcoin-founder-reveals-identity.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"FILES-BRITAIN-AUSTRALIA-INTERNET-TECHNOLOGY-BITCOIN","caption":"Bitcoin medals are seen in Washington, June 17, 2014. On May 2, an Australian entrepreneur, identified as Craig Wright, revealed himself as the creator following years of speculation about who invented the pioneering digital currency.","creditText":"Karen Bleier—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/business/","name":"Business"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-tech/","name":"Tech"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4313928/bitcoin-craig-steven-wright-satoshi-nakamoto/","name":"The Unmasking of Bitcoin Creator Craig Wright Was a Long Time Coming"}}]}] ```