Australian-born technologist and self-proclaimed inventor of Bitcoin, Craig Wright has said that Martti Malmi and Michael Marquardt (AKA Theymos) have co-founded dark market websites such as Silk Road, Hydra, and a “number of other darker websites.”
Wright who claims to be the Satoshi Nakamoto, has been accused by Ira Kleiman, the brother of now deceased David Kleiman to have stolen a certain amount of bitcoins which his brother and the accused had mined together.
Wright made the above statements in a transcript from a court session on June 28th. The document read:
“Both of them, together with Ross Ulbricht, set up Silk Road, Hydra, and a number of other darker websites. I protested this to them. I set up Bitcoin to be honest money. I set up Bitcoin to fix the problems of every other digital cash that had been, whether it be eGold, or Liberty Reserve Cash, or DG Cash, or Brands Cash, every single one had fallen to crime, and I thought by having an evidentiary trial, I would create the world’s first digital cash that would not be linked to crime.”
Malmi is an early Bitcoin developer. Marquardt is Bitcoin.org and Bitcointalk administrator and a Reddit Bitcoin moderator.
On getting to know about the accusations, Malmi, has already made plans to take legal actions against Wright. He has denied all of these statements as “made up accusations.”
Previously, in 2013, FBI shut down black market website Silk Road and arrested Ross Ulbricht who was later sentenced to life in prison without parole. Such strict measures were taken to highlight the severity of cybercrime and for it to act as a warning bell for all imposters.
Wright can be seen to have a propensity towards legal proceedings and the court. Along with the ongoing case mentioned above, he served a legal notice, intending to sue Vitalik Buterin, of Ethereum fame, for defamation. Less than a week later, Wright filed suit with similar claims against podcaster Peter McCormack, and on the next month, he served Roger Ver, an early Bitcoin investor. He wishes to establish himself as the father of bitcoin in this way. Although, as far as the crypto world is concerned very few people are actually willing to believe him.
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