In a statement made public early this morning, Dorian Satoshi Nakamoto, the subject of Newsweek's controversial Bitcoin cover story, continues to deny any involvement with the currency, noting that he is "writing this statement to clear [his] name."
The note was first obtained and tweeted out by Reuters' Felix Salmon, who mentioned on Twitter he received it from Nakamoto's lawyer, Ethan Kirschner.
Salmon's Tweet:
Dorian Nakamoto official statement/denial. Very interested to see how @newsweek @truth_eater @jimpoco respond.
In the statement, Nakamoto writes that he "never consented to speak with a reporter" and alleges that "my prospects for gainful employment has [sic] been harmed because of Newsweek's article." The statement also lists off the 64-year-old's recent medical problems, including prostate surgery and a stroke as recently as last October.
While Nakamoto admits to a background in engineering and programming, the statement says he has never worked on cryptography. Due to financial troubles, Nakamoto's statement alleges he shut down his internet service in 2013.
Newsweek has publicly defended its story earlier this month, writing that the magazine "stands strongly behind Ms. Goodman and her article."
A request for comment has been sent to Newsweek.
Updated — March 17, 2:07 p.m. ET: Newsweek has responded to Nakamoto's statement with a very short post on its website:
Newsweek has not received any statement or letter from either Mr. Nakamoto or his legal counsel. If and when we do, we will respond as necessary.