Key Takeaways:
- Christen Ager-Hanssen, CEO of nChain, has resigned, citing an “untenable” job environment.
- The ex-CEO claimed he had proof Wright was not Satoshi.
- Meanwhile, Wright stated he would continue to consult with Bitcoin firms.
NEW DELHI (CoinChapter.com) — In a surprising turn of events, Christen Ager-Hanssen has resigned as the CEO of nChain, a global blockchain technology provider.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Ager-Hanssen announced his decision, claiming that he had reported “several serious issues” to the nChain board members. Moreover, the now ex-CEO alleged that the organization’s “significant shareholder” had conspired to defraud nChain shareholders.
Additionally, Ager-Hanssen shared concerns about the “real people” and the main beneficiary shareholder of the Cayman-registered DW Discovery Fund. The fund focused on investing in disruptive technologies and acquired the nChain group in Oct. 2018.
Furthermore, Ager-Hanssen alleged that the chairman followed “instructions from shadow directors,” which he refused to accept. However, Ager-Hanssen’s biggest bombshell was he had “compelling evidence” that Dr. Craig Wright’s claims of being Bitcoin inventor Satoshi Nakamoto were false.
Moreover, Ager-Hanssen alleged that Wright had “manipulated” documents to deceive the courts that he was Satoshi.
I’m today myself convinced that Dr Craig Wright is NOT Satoshi, and I’m persuaded he will lose all his legal battles. The board didn’t take action, and my job became clearly untenable.
Christen Ager-Hanssen said
Reacting to the news, Magnus Granath, better known by his online alias hodlonaut, asked Ager-Hanssen what the former CEO thought of Wright’s legal battle against Granath in 2022. The public school teacher had called Wright a “fraud” and “imposter,” after which Wright sued him.
Ager-Hanssen replied that he was sorry about the incident, stating that he did not notice the evidence earlier. “I feel with you the pain Craig has caused you and so many others,” Ager-Hanssen said.
Not Going Anywhere: Wright
In response to Christen Ager-Hanssen’s resignation, Craig Wright shared a post that he was not going anywhere. Mocking his detractors, Wright said,
Sorry to disappoint my anti-fans. I haven’t gone anywhere, I’m still here consulting with Bitcoin companies including nChain.
Moreover, Wright stated that he deemed it unnecessary to hold an official role with nChain as the firm has “excellent operators.”
The statement likely replied to Agter-Hanssen’s claims of the nChain board answering to “shadow directors.”
Furthermore, Wright claimed that not holding an official role with nChain allowed him the freedom to work with multiple BSV (Bitcoin Satoshi’s Vision, a BTC fork created by Wright) companies.
Ager-Hanssen Fired, Says nChain
Interestingly, nChain released a company statement stating that the firm was disappointed with Ager-Ager-Hanssen’s conduct following his “summary dismissal.”
The firm’s board claims that Ager-Hanssen did not resign but was dismissed following an independent investigation into “concerns regarding the recent stewardship of the business.”
The statement did not detail the findings of the investigation, citing confidentiality. Moreover, the board claimed that Ager-Hanssen’s recent conduct caused the board to call for the CEO’s immediate dismissal. Yet, the announcement remained silent on explaining how Ager-Hanssen’s conduct was offensive.
Furthermore, the board acknowledged receiving a document with Ager-Hanssen’s concerns.
The Board takes its regulatory responsibilities extremely seriously and, while it does not concur with any of the assertions made by Mr Ager-Hanssen, it nonetheless determined to authorise an independent external review of the document’s contents, which is now underway.
nChain Board stated.
Wright’s Nakamoto Claims And Lawsuits
Craig Wright revealed himself as Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto in 2015 through an alleged ‘doxxing.’
However, speculations that the doxxing was orchestrated by Wright and his associates started gaining traction. Wright even “signed” a public blog post allegedly using Satoshi’s private keys to bolster his claim of being the Bitcoin creator.
The blog post returned to haunt Wright, with several cryptographic experts calling the Australian crypto scientist a “con man.”
In another blow to Wright’s claim, in May 2020, an anonymous user signed a public message with 145 addresses that the self-proclaimed Bitcoin creator claimed belonged to his holdings. The message called Wright a fraud and clarified that he had no control or ownership over the addresses.
BitMEX Research tweeted that a random sample of 20 addresses from the anonymous message did not match the holdings “dominant” bitcoin miner from 2009, largely believed to be Satoshi Nakamoto.
Magnus Granath’s legal battle with Wright is widely regarded as crypto’s version of David and Goliath since Wright relied on his wealth and legal might to silence anyone opposing his claim of being Nakamoto.
However, Granath’s 2-person legal team, paid using crowdfunded donations, won against Wright’s 9-person international legal team.
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