{"id":15506,"date":"2022-12-15T19:10:44","date_gmt":"2022-12-15T19:10:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crowdfundjunction.com\/blog\/another-mysterious-person-signs-a-2009-btc-address-message-shared-by-martin-shkreli-mentions-convicted-felon-paul-le-roux-bitcoin-news\/"},"modified":"2022-12-15T19:10:44","modified_gmt":"2022-12-15T19:10:44","slug":"another-mysterious-person-signs-a-2009-btc-address-message-shared-by-martin-shkreli-mentions-convicted-felon-paul-le-roux-bitcoin-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crowdfundjunction.com\/blog\/another-mysterious-person-signs-a-2009-btc-address-message-shared-by-martin-shkreli-mentions-convicted-felon-paul-le-roux-bitcoin-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Another Mysterious Person Signs a 2009 BTC Address, Message Shared by Martin Shkreli Mentions Convicted Felon Paul Le Roux \u2013 Bitcoin News"},"content":{"rendered":"

(Originally posted on : Bitcoin News )<\/b>
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Just recently, the crypto community discovered a bitcointalk.org forum user who signed a message from bitcoin block 1,018, and the signer associated the signature with an address first seen in 2022. Moreover, further investigation and evidence have tied block 1,018 to the now-deceased computer scientist Hal Finney\u2019s bitcoin transactions. Two days ago, another signature and message associated with an old bitcoin address were published, and this time around it was revealed by the \u2018pharma bro\u2019 and former hedge fund manager Martin Shkreli. The latest message makes a bold claim that says that criminal cartel boss and former programmer, Paul Le Roux, sent Hal Finney the first bitcoin transaction on Jan. 12, 2009.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Another Jan. 2009 Bitcoin Address Has Been Signed \u2014 This Time the Verified Message Was Shared by \u2018Pharma Bro\u2019 Martin Shkreli<\/h2>\n

Amid the chaos tethered to the FTX collapse, the crypto community has witnessed an odd message signing<\/a> from a bitcointalk.org forum user called \u201cOnesignature.\u201d The user signed a message tied to the address \u201c1NChf,<\/a>\u201d which is linked to the coinbase reward 1,018<\/a>. Then to prove that the user still exists today, the message contained a 2022 bitcoin address and Onesignature signed a message with the newly created address<\/a> as well. Upon further investigation, Bitcoin.com News discovered that Onesignature\u2019s 1NChf address and block 1,018 are associated<\/a> with Hal Finney\u2019s bitcoin transactions. This includes a great deal of the alleged bitcoin blocks Finney mined and the computer scientist\u2019s BTC<\/a> transfers as well.<\/p>\n

\"Another
The message and signature shared by Martin Shkreli on Dec. 13, 2022. Shkreli does not disclose where he found the message.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The problem is that Finney passed away in 2014, after dealing with years of suffering tied to his amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) complications. This means that Finney himself did not sign the transaction, but the wallet could still be controlled by his remaining family members and estate. The estate could have sold the wallet as well in its entirety, even if it was empty and for a considerable amount of value. After Onesignature\u2019s revelation, however, another signing appeared on the web, and this time it was introduced by the former hedge fund manager Martin Shkreli<\/a>. The convicted felon and \u2018pharma bro\u2019 is a controversial figure and in more recent times, he\u2019s been involved in numerous crypto-related discussions.<\/p>\n

\"Another
A visual perspective of the 1Q2TW bitcoin address associated with Hal Finney and 10 BTC<\/a> sent by Satoshi Nakamoto. The address has also sent 0.034337 BTC<\/a> on Sept. 6, 2017.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On Dec. 13, 2022, Shkreli published a post on his substack blog, and the blog post<\/a> is titled: \u201cPaul Le Roux is Satoshi.\u201d In the post, Shkreli shares a bitcoin address that is associated with the message and signature published in Shkreli\u2019s blog. The address is \u201c1Q2TW<\/a>,\u201d the same address by which Satoshi Nakamoto sent 10 bitcoin on Jan. 12, 2009, to Hal Finney from block 9. Shkreli\u2019s message says: \u201cThis Transaction was made by Paul Leroux to Hal Finney on January 12, 2009 #bitcoin.\u201d The message also contains the signature proving that the signer has access to the 1Q2TW private key. In the comments section, Shkreli is asked where he got the message, but the former hedge fund manager does not disclose this information.<\/p>\n

Software Developer Greg Maxwell Pokes Holes in Shkreli\u2019s Evidence<\/h2>\n

A number of commenters in Shkreli\u2019s blog post criticize him for not sharing where he got the message and signature set. \u201cThe failure to answer this question \u2013 even by briefly saying why he cannot directly say, is very telling,\u201d one person wrote. \u201cWe can see Martin has been going through the comments.\u201d Additionally, Shkreli is confronted by the bitcoin developer Greg Maxwell, who explains that the signature type used to sign the message was not around when Finney was developing. \u201cSo it was presumably created by someone who obtained Hal\u2019s private keys after his death,\u201d Maxwell insisted. \u201cYou can see that address was actively sending transactions long after Hal\u2019s death so *unambiguously* someone else has control of the key.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maxwell\u2019s comments are correct as the 1Q2TW address had made an outgoing transaction<\/a> long after Finney\u2019s death. The transfer of 0.034337 BTC<\/a> was sent from 1Q2TW on Sept. 6, 2017, at 1:42 a.m. (ET). Maxwell further tells the \u2018pharma bro\u2019 that the signature he posted \u201cisn\u2019t compatible with the Bitcoin blockchain, it\u2019s a new signature type we introduced specifically for message signing, which was first released in Bitcoin 0.5.0 on November 1st, 2011.\u201d The software programmer also says the specific format is an \u201cElectrum style\u201d scheme, which \u201cwasn\u2019t even proposed until mid-2013,\u201d Maxwell stressed. \u201cI\u2019m not sure when it was first implemented.\u201d Maxwell continued:<\/p>\n

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By the time signmessage was created in late 2011 Hal was profoundly disabled and only able to use a computer with someone else\u2019s help, it wasn\u2019t widely used until years after. Other commenters have pointed out that this address was active in 2017 so that gives an obvious explanation: The message wasn\u2019t signed by Hal but whomever is using his keys now.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Shkreli Claims He\u2019s Going to \u2018Reach out to Finney\u2019s Family\u2019 to See Who Owns the Private Keys<\/h2>\n

Shkreli responded to Maxwell and conversed back and forth with the software developer. \u201cThis is very helpful, I am going to reach out to Finney\u2019s family to see who has these keys and why would they be signing messages,\u201d Shkreli said. \u201cFrom the little I know of the Finneys, it does not seem like they would be LARPing and signing random signatures or selling the key pairs,\u201d the \u2018pharma bro\u2019 added. Maxwell remarked that the Finney family was attacked by extortionists at one time, and he further noted that some of Hal\u2019s bitcoins were sold. \u201cIt\u2019s possible that they did so by just selling the keys (or a whole wallet)\u2014 it would be a convenient way to do so that wouldn\u2019t require figuring out how to use it,\u201d Maxwell said.<\/p>\n

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Paul Le Roux has been a Satoshi suspect since 2019.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The name \u201cPaul Le Roux<\/a>\u201d refers to the former cartel boss, DEA informant, and software programmer who resides in jail after he was arrested for various crimes in 2012. Le Roux<\/a> has been considered a Satoshi suspect for many years now, and people believe he had the technical know-how to create Bitcoin. His name was first associated with Satoshi after circumstantial evidence appeared during the Kleiman v. Wright lawsuit.<\/p>\n

One of the documents in the lawsuit (Document 187<\/a>) highlights an unredacted footnote, which shows a URL address linked to Paul Le Roux\u2019s Wikipedia page. This document and the fact that Le Roux was highly respected as an innovative software engineer and cryptographer, have led many people to believe<\/a> Le Roux was Satoshi. For instance, investigative journalist Evan Ratliff said in an archived Bitcoin.com podcast<\/a> that he thought Le Roux was \u201cthe most credible Satoshi yet.\u201d Ratliff also wrote about his theory in a Wired article<\/a> published in July 2016.<\/p>\n

After further reviewing Maxwell\u2019s commentary, Shkreli replied and concluded that he really did not care who Satoshi Nakamoto is. \u201cVery interesting,\u201d Shkreli wrote back to Maxwell. \u201cI have no dog in this fight, and do not care if Satoshi is Le Roux, Finney, neither, or both. It seems very likely the signature was created recently by someone who has gained access to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\nTags in this story
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10 BTC<\/a>, 1Q2TW private key<\/a>, 2009 address<\/a>, 2009 bitcoin address<\/a>, 2011<\/a>, Dec 13 2022<\/a>, first BTC transaction<\/a>, Greg Maxwell<\/a>, Hal Finney<\/a>, Hal Finney’s bitcoins<\/a>, Hal Finney’s mined coins<\/a>, Martin Shkreli<\/a>, Martin Shkreli 2009<\/a>, Message<\/a>, Mysterious Person<\/a>, Ownership<\/a>, paul le roux<\/a>, Paul Leroux<\/a>, Paul Leroux to Hal Finney<\/a>, Pharma Bro<\/a>, private keys<\/a>, Shkreli\u2019s blog<\/a>, Signature<\/a>, Signing<\/a>, signmessage<\/a>, signmessage technology<\/a>, Verified Message<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

What do you think about the message shared by Martin Shkreli? What do you think about the statements Greg Maxwell made? Do you think someone is signing addresses associated with Hal Finney\u2019s bitcoin addresses? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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\nJamie Redman <\/h6>\n

\nJamie Redman is the News Lead at Bitcoin.com News and a financial tech journalist living in Florida. Redman has been an active member of the cryptocurrency community since 2011. He has a passion for Bitcoin, open-source code, and decentralized applications. Since September 2015, Redman has written more than 6,000 articles for Bitcoin.com News about the disruptive protocols emerging today.

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Image Credits<\/b>: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons<\/em><\/p>\n

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Disclaimer<\/strong>: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com<\/a> does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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