The secret businessman on Monday identified himself as the originator of the pioneering digital money after years of conjecture about who devised it.

The move stunned the world of virtual currencies, although some specialists weren’t convinced, and Wright guaranteed to supply additional “extraordinary evidence”.

Bitcoin is a advanced money as militaries and governments use to encrypt codes based on the exact same fundamental math.

Unlike conventional monies such as the euro or the dollar, which need the sponsorship of a central bank, Bitcoin is decentralised.

“I considered that I could do this. I considered that I could set the years of anonymity and concealment behind me,” read a statement posted on his web site.

“But, as the events of this week unfolded and I prepared to print the evidence of access to the first keys, I busted. I don’t have the guts.”

The External Organisation, a public relations company that’s worked with Wright, said the statement was “valid” but declined to comment further.

Wright had made his claim through three media outlets – GQ magazine, The Economist and the BBC – and also composed a website.

The BBC said Wright had presented some evidence that just the true originator of Bitcoin could have supplied.

It posted a video of him presenting the signing of a message with the public key related to the first trade done on Bitcoin following its 2009 start.

But The Economist was more sceptical, saying there were still quite a few measures to go through in order to confirm the claim and “significant questions stay”.

Supercomputers create digital coins and traded online or changed for services and goods by a peer-to-peer network of computers.

Billions of dollars worth of Bitcoins are in circulation.

‘I am Sorry… And good-bye’
The BBC’s technology correspondent, Rory Cellan-Jones, said Wright’s refusal to supply more evidence was “bound to raise new doubts” about his claim.

Cellan Jones said that Wright in the last 24 hours had “started an experiment designed to demonstrate which he does possess Satoshi’s cryptographic keys, subsequently done an about turn”.

“They weren’t deceived, but I understand the world will never believe that now,” he said.

Wright said his “qualifications and character were assaulted” and he was “not powerful enough”.

“I am Sorry” read the name of Wright’s statement, which finished with the words: “And good-bye”.