Australian authorities raid home of man of potential bitcoin creator

Australian Federal Police have reportedly raided the house of man only hours after Wired Magazine and technology website Gizmodo said he was the probable creator of global crypto-currency bitcoin.

The authorities forced their way into a Sydney home registered to Craig Steven Wright, which according to Wired and Gizmodo is the likely identity behind the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto that has long been a mystery to journalists and bitcoin enthusiasts.

The pseudonym is the author of the paper, protocol and software that was released in 2009 giving rise to the cryptocurrency.

The Australian Federal Police in a statement on Wednesday said their presence at the north Sydney home was not associated with the media reporting about bitcoins, instead referring all inquiries to the Australian Tax Office (ATO).

"Due to confidentially provisions in the tax administration act, the ATO cannot comment on any individual's or entity's' tax affairs," a spokesperson for the Australian Tax Office told Xinhua.

Wired and Gizmodo published articles on Wednesday, saying there are investigations, based off leaked emails, documents and web achieves including a transcript off a conversation between Wright and tax officials, saying the man was probably the secretive creator of Bitcoin.

Unravelling the mystery behind the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto would be important not just to solve the riddle, but also for the future of the currency.

The treatment of bitcoin in Australia has been the subject of debate in recent years, with the Australian Tax Office declaring the cryptocurrency should be considered an asset for capital gains and tax purposes in December 2014. Enditem