For better or worse, a lot of people devote a lot of their time to thinking and talking about
Dr. Craig S. Wright. For those who’d like to read more about the man and his famous creation, Bitcoin, a new book will be coming out next year.
“Hero/Villain: Satoshi: The Man who Built Bitcoin,” by biographer Mark Eglinton, explores all sides in a book due for release in late May 2024. If you’d like a copy, it’s available for pre-order on Amazon now.
The book description is enticing: “For the first time, the real inside story of Bitcoin is laid bare—a story with greed, power, and betrayal at its heart.”
In 2008, an unknown entity named “Satoshi Nakamoto” published the Bitcoin White Paper, describing a technology many had theorized and imagined but no one had yet built. Seven years later, the publications WIRED and Gizmodo both published investigative scoops revealing that Satoshi Nakamoto was an Australian computer scientist named Craig Wright.
In the years since, the real-life Dr. Wright has proved to be as enigmatic as his pseudonym. The challenge to get inside his mind has preoccupied both his loyal fans and dedicated critics ever since.
The title “Hero/Villan” refers more to his creation—was Bitcoin’s invention a net positive for humanity, or has its misunderstanding and misuse by various bad actors caused harm? Craig Wright has mused the topic in great detail everywhere, from online chat rooms to courts.
“Initially intended to be a force for good that would allow people to transact directly and inexpensively online, it wasn’t long before Bitcoin became something else: a store of value with a cast of powerful investors hell-bent on manipulating it for their own gain.”
“Hero/Villain” is the result of interviews with Dr. Wright, as well as “those who have fought with him,” and details his struggles to ensure Bitcoin fulfills its promise and potentially world-changing (original) purpose.
Author Eglinton is no stranger to digging deeper into main characters with mixed and misunderstood public images. He has previously published “No Domain: The John McAfee Tapes,” as well as biographies of Metallica’s James Hetfield and K.K. Downing of Judas Priest.
“Hero/Villain” is less of a Craig Wright biography, though, and more an observation of his actions and tribulations. It’s a story of the years when he fought to protect his identity as Bitcoin’s creator and the subsequent years when he found himself needing to prove it to judges and juries (as well as convince the baying crowd of Bitcoiners, some of whom chase truth and some who’ll do everything to avoid it).
Whatever becomes of Dr. Wright the man, the story of Bitcoin is even further from being over. Few understand exactly what it is, and even fewer can predict where it’ll all lead. Will those it was invented for (i.e., everyone) eventually come to understand its true purpose and potential?
We can’t answer that right now. But Eglinton’s book promises to be a great read that will shed more light on the topic. Head over to Amazon and reserve your place in line to be among the first to read it.
Watch Craig Wright: Speaking as Satoshi
New to blockchain? Check out CoinGeek’s Blockchain for Beginners section, the ultimate resource guide to learn more about blockchain technology.
