The Centre for Forensic Linguistics at UK’s Aston University has completed a comprehensive analysis to draw the conclusion that Nick Szabo’s texts show the most similarities with the original writings of the Bitcoin inventor.
The probability is very high as the first comparison of material shows common expressions and highly similar word choices previously noticed by online enthusiasts. The blogger and former law school professor at George Washington University is likely Satoshi Nakamoto, according to linguistic analysis.
The research started in March and was completed some days ago. To begin the search, scientists chose 11 personalities closely related to Bitcoin. The list was narrowed down to the following people: Dorian S. Nakamoto, Vili Lehdonvirta, Michael Clear, Shinichi Mochizuki, Gavin Andresen, Nick Szabo, Jed McCaleb, Dustin D. Trammel, Hal Finney, Wei Dai and the Neal King-Vladimir Oksman-Charles Bry trio.
Dr. Jack Grieve, the leader of the “Project Bitcoin” study, stated in his press release on the matter:
“The number of linguistic similarities between [Mr.] Szabo’s writing and the Bitcoin paper is uncanny, none of the other possible authors were anywhere near as good of a match. We are pretty confident that out of the primary suspects Nick Szabo is the main author of the paper, though we can’t rule out the possibility that others contributed.”
Major similarities found in both the texts of Satoshi Nakamoto and Nick Szabo blog entries include:
“… the phrases ‘chain of…’, ‘trusted third parties’, ‘for our purposes’, ‘need for…’, ‘still’, ‘of course’, ‘as long as’, ‘such as’ and ‘only’ numerous times, contractions, commas before ‘and’ and ‘but’, hyphenation, ‘-ly’ adverbs, the pronouns ‘we’ and ‘our’ in papers by a single author; fragmented sentences following colons and reflexive (-self) pronouns.”
It is also known that the assumptions made by hobby-detectives on the web have been declined by Mr. Szabo. However, the revealing analysis might be considered as stronger evidence in comparison with any claims made before.
Cointelegraph asked Aurélien Menant for his professional point of view on the matter. He questions the necessity to search for the Bitcoin inventor:
“On the one hand, I think it would remove some of the beauty of the Bitcoin that consists in belonging to everyone in the same way."
However, Mr. Menant sees particular advantages in the determination of the mystery behind Satoshi Nakamoto:
“On the other hand, I think it would still be very good for both adoption and development…Regarding the adoption, there would be articles on the Bitcoin creator everywhere, so Bitcoin would be all over the news.
Then it would also remove an important part of the mystery and the suspicion that surround the Bitcoin protocol. Thus it would allow the general public knowing more about Bitcoin and focusing on the technology and its potential.”
It would also attract more people capable to contribute to the technical side of the currency:
"It would be very beneficial in terms of development, as well as an increased popularity and use of Bitcoin would bring more people to participate in its development and also more funding to flow to finance it."
Szabo has yet to comment on the recent claims.