McAfee’s Lawyer Advises Him to Not Reveal Satoshi Nakamoto’s Identity
Cybersecurity entrepreneur and U.S. presidential candidate, John McAfee, has been ordered to stay silent when it comes to revealing the identity of Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto.
On Wednesday, McAfee tweeted a letter from his Attorney that strongly advised him to not reveal the identity behind the mysterious pseudonym on the bitcoin white paper.
The letter states that a possible lawsuit could stem from potential revelation, adding troubles to McAfee's current laundry list of legal issues.
The US extradition request to the Bahamas is imminent. I met with Mario Gray, my extradition lawyer, and it is now clear (read his letter below) that releasing the identity of Satoshi at this time could influence the trial and risk my extradition. I cannot risk that. I'll wait. pic.twitter.com/l8lTjR6fQM
— John McAfee (@officialmcafee) April 23, 2019
McAfee Is Always On The Run
Currently, McAfee is facing extradition charges to the United States for tax avoidance. He says that he has not paid taxes inside the U.S. for eight years and finds it suspicious that he is being targeted by the IRS now that he is in the cryptocurrency spotlight.
"Every year I write a letter to the IRS on tax day saying taxation is theft. I'm not paying it," McAfee told the Daily Caller.
"For eight years nothing has happened. When I started talking about cryptocurrency, individual freedom, and how cryptocurrency can free us from the oppression of corrupt governments, then suddenly ears started perking up."
Big Talk
Previously, the cybersecurity pioneer had told Bloomberg News that he would reveal the identity of Nakamoto “within a week.” He claims to have "spoken with him, and he is not a happy camper about my attempt to out him.”
The motive behind revealing the Identity of Nakamoto likely stems from the recent legal action taken by Australian computer scientist, Craig Wright, targeting a well-known figure in the crypto space with a libel suit.
Wright claims to be the creator of bitcoin and has been under much scrutiny for doing so.
This Isn't The First Time
There have been numerous attempts in the past at revealing the person, or group of people, who originally went by the Nakamoto pen name on the bitcoin white paper. Both the New York Times and the New Yorker gave the unmasking an attempt, while News Week tracked down a Japanese man living in California named Dorian Nakamoto Nakamoto.
Dorian ("not Satoshi") Nakamoto would later successfully sue the newspaper after denying any involvement in bitcoin.
