JP Thor (John-Paul Thorbjornsen)

{
  "subject_name": "JP Thor (John-Paul Thorbjornsen)",
  "type": "person",
  "overall_score": 62,
  "research_sources": "Claude, GPT, Grok, Gemini",
  "research_date": "2026-02-21",
  "source_registry": [
    {
      "source_id": "SRC-001",
      "url": "https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/02/18/1132587/jean-paul-thorbjornsen-dark-side-crypto-permissionless-dream/",
      "title": "Welcome to the dark side of crypto’s permissionless dream",
      "publisher": "MIT Technology Review",
      "accessed_date": "2026-02-21"
    },
    {
      "source_id": "SRC-002",
      "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/THORChain/comments/1oyhvxe/concerns_about_jp_thors_history_canya_12m_ico/",
      "title": "Concerns about JP Thor's history (CanYa, $12M ICO, transparency gaps)",
      "publisher": "Reddit r/THORChain",
      "accessed_date": "2026-02-21"
    },
    {
      "source_id": "SRC-003",
      "url": "https://canya.io/",
      "title": "CanYa Coin - decentralized blockchain marketplace",
      "publisher": "CanYa",
      "accessed_date": "2026-02-21"
    },
    {
      "source_id": "SRC-004",
      "url": "https://cryptopapers.info/assets/pdf/canya_1_6.pdf",
      "title": "CanYa Whitepaper v1.6",
      "publisher": "CanYa",
      "accessed_date": "2026-02-21"
    },
    {
      "source_id": "SRC-005",
      "url": "https://x.com/jpthor",
      "title": "JP (@jpthor) Profile and Posts",
      "publisher": "X (Twitter)",
      "accessed_date": "2026-02-21"
    },
    {
      "source_id": "SRC-006",
      "url": "https://github.com/jpthor",
      "title": "jpthor GitHub Profile",
      "publisher": "GitHub",
      "accessed_date": "2026-02-21"
    },
    {
      "source_id": "SRC-007",
      "url": "https://finance.yahoo.com/news/jp-thor-attempt-first-helicopter-160000498.html",
      "title": "JP Thor Will Attempt to Be the First Helicopter Pilot to Cross the North and South Poles",
      "publisher": "Yahoo Finance / ACCESSWIRE",
      "accessed_date": "2026-02-21"
    },
    {
      "source_id": "SRC-008",
      "url": "https://tradersunion.com/persons/john-paul-thorbjornsen/",
      "title": "John-Paul Thorbjornsen: Biography, Career, and Business Insights",
      "publisher": "Traders Union",
      "accessed_date": "2026-02-21"
    },
    {
      "source_id": "SRC-009",
      "url": "https://app.ethos.network/profile/x/jpthor",
      "title": "Ethos Profile for @jpthor",
      "publisher": "Ethos Network",
      "accessed_date": "2026-02-21"
    },
    {
      "source_id": "SRC-010",
      "url": "https://finance.yahoo.com/news/thorchain-co-founder-loses-1-140639415.html",
      "title": "ThorChain Co-Founder Loses $1.3M in North Korean Deepfake Scam",
      "publisher": "Yahoo Finance",
      "accessed_date": "2026-02-21"
    }
  ],
  "third_party_reputation_scores": [
    {
      "platform": "ethos.network",
      "score": null,
      "score_type": "credibility",
      "reviews_positive": null,
      "reviews_negative": null,
      "reviews_neutral": null,
      "notable_review_texts": [],
      "vouch_count": null,
      "vouch_eth_staked": null,
      "slash_count": null,
      "url": "https://app.ethos.network/profile/x/jpthor",
      "source_id": "SRC-009"
    }
  ],
  "identity": {
    "verified_name": "John-Paul Thorbjornsen",
    "handles": [
      "@jpthor"
    ],
    "email_addresses": [],
    "locations": [
      "Australia",
      "Singapore (reported relocation)"
    ],
    "verification_status": "high",
    "source_ids": [
      "SRC-001",
      "SRC-005",
      "SRC-007",
      "SRC-008"
    ]
  },
  "credentials_and_claims": [
    {
      "claim": "Bachelor of Aeronautical Engineering (First Class Honours), University of New South Wales",
      "source": "CanYa Whitepaper v1.6 and public biographies",
      "verified": true,
      "verification_evidence": "Consistent across CanYa whitepaper, press profiles, and aviation reporting",
      "verification_status": "verified",
      "confidence": "high",
      "found_by": [
        "Claude",
        "GPT",
        "Grok",
        "Gemini"
      ],
      "notes": "No official UNSW registry record retrieved",
      "source_ids": [
        "SRC-004",
        "SRC-008"
      ]
    },
    {
      "claim": "Royal Australian Air Force officer and pilot with over 2,000 flight hours",
      "source": "Press interviews and aviation coverage",
      "verified": true,
      "verification_evidence": "Multiple aviation publications and interviews confirm active piloting and military background",
      "verification_status": "verified",
      "confidence": "high",
      "found_by": [
        "Claude",
        "GPT",
        "Grok",
        "Gemini"
      ],
      "notes": "Exact service records not publicly released",
      "source_ids": [
        "SRC-001",
        "SRC-007"
      ]
    },
    {
      "claim": "Founder of THORChain, operating under the pseudonym 'Leena' for approximately six years",
      "source": "MIT Technology Review and public admissions",
      "verified": true,
      "verification_evidence": "Public doxxing and confirmation by multiple outlets",
      "verification_status": "verified",
      "confidence": "high",
      "found_by": [
        "Claude",
        "GPT",
        "Grok",
        "Gemini"
      ],
      "notes": "Use of fabricated female persona acknowledged by subject",
      "source_ids": [
        "SRC-001"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "project_history": [
    {
      "name": "CanYa",
      "period": "2016–2018",
      "description": "Decentralized services marketplace funded by ICO",
      "funding": "Approximately AU$12M raised",
      "outcome": "Project failed to achieve adoption; token value collapsed",
      "tvl_or_metrics": "N/A",
      "team_members": [
        "John-Paul Thorbjornsen"
      ],
      "controversies": [
        "Lack of transparency post-ICO",
        "No public audits"
      ],
      "sources": [
        "MIT Technology Review",
        "Reddit community discussions"
      ],
      "confidence": "high",
      "source_ids": [
        "SRC-001",
        "SRC-002",
        "SRC-004"
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "THORChain",
      "period": "2018–present",
      "description": "Cross-chain decentralized liquidity protocol",
      "funding": "Initial IDO and ongoing protocol fees",
      "outcome": "Operational with major incidents and controversies",
      "tvl_or_metrics": "Peak market capitalization exceeded $1B",
      "team_members": [
        "Pseudonymous contributors",
        "Nine Realms"
      ],
      "controversies": [
        "Multiple hacks in 2021",
        "THORFi freeze causing approximately $200M in user losses",
        "Processing of North Korea-linked Bybit hack funds"
      ],
      "sources": [
        "MIT Technology Review",
        "Yahoo Finance"
      ],
      "confidence": "high",
      "source_ids": [
        "SRC-001",
        "SRC-010"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "timeline": [
    {
      "date": "2017",
      "title": "CanYa ICO",
      "description": "CanYa raises approximately AU$12M through an ICO",
      "sources": [
        "CanYa Whitepaper",
        "MIT Technology Review"
      ],
      "tone": "neutral",
      "verified": true,
      "notes": "Subsequent delivery issues",
      "source_ids": [
        "SRC-001",
        "SRC-004"
      ]
    },
    {
      "date": "2018",
      "title": "THORChain founding",
      "description": "THORChain conceived and developed under pseudonym 'Leena'",
      "sources": [
        "MIT Technology Review"
      ],
      "tone": "neutral",
      "verified": true,
      "notes": "Identity concealed until 2024",
      "source_ids": [
        "SRC-001"
      ]
    },
    {
      "date": "January 2025",
      "title": "THORFi freeze",
      "description": "Admin intervention pauses withdrawals, leading to approximately $200M in user losses",
      "sources": [
        "MIT Technology Review",
        "Yahoo Finance"
      ],
      "tone": "critical",
      "verified": true,
      "notes": "Subject denies direct responsibility",
      "source_ids": [
        "SRC-001",
        "SRC-010"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "red_flags": [
    {
      "title": "ICO-era transparency failures",
      "description": "CanYa raised substantial funds without subsequent public accounting or delivery",
      "severity": "high",
      "confidence": "high",
      "supporting_evidence": [
        "Community complaints",
        "MIT Technology Review analysis"
      ],
      "counter_evidence": [],
      "found_by": [
        "Claude",
        "GPT"
      ],
      "sources": [
        "MIT Technology Review",
        "Reddit"
      ],
      "source_ids": [
        "SRC-001",
        "SRC-002"
      ]
    },
    {
      "title": "Centralization contradicting decentralization claims",
      "description": "Use of admin keys and influence over node operators despite claims of no central control",
      "severity": "critical",
      "confidence": "high",
      "supporting_evidence": [
        "Nine Realms statements",
        "Deleted posts"
      ],
      "counter_evidence": [
        "Subject denials"
      ],
      "found_by": [
        "Claude",
        "Grok"
      ],
      "sources": [
        "MIT Technology Review"
      ],
      "source_ids": [
        "SRC-001"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "behavioral_patterns": [
    {
      "title": "Ideological absolutism",
      "description": "Rigid defense of permissionless systems even when facilitating illicit activity",
      "examples": [
        "Defense of processing North Korea-linked funds"
      ],
      "frequency": "recurrent",
      "confidence": "high",
      "sources": [
        "MIT Technology Review"
      ],
      "source_ids": [
        "SRC-001"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "contradictions_and_disputes": [
    {
      "claim_1": "Subject exited crypto involvement in 2021",
      "claim_2": "Evidence of active influence and decision-making through 2025",
      "source_1": "Subject statements",
      "source_2": "Nine Realms and MIT Technology Review",
      "resolution": "Unresolved; evidence suggests continued involvement",
      "confidence": "high",
      "source_ids": [
        "SRC-001"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "evidence_gaps": [
    {
      "question": "Exact legal responsibility for admin key actions",
      "why_uncertain": "Disputed statements and lack of on-chain attribution",
      "searched": "Press reports, developer statements",
      "source_ids": [
        "SRC-001"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "key_insights": [
    {
      "title": "High-impact builder with repeated governance failures",
      "description": "Technical success overshadowed by repeated incidents causing large user losses",
      "importance": "critical",
      "evidence": [
        "THORFi collapse",
        "Bybit laundering"
      ],
      "source_ids": [
        "SRC-001"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "risk_assessment": {
    "overall_score": 62,
    "score_reasoning": "Significant financial and reputational risks driven by user losses, governance contradictions, and facilitation of illicit flows, offset by genuine technical delivery",
    "criminal_risk": "none found",
    "financial_risk": "high",
    "reputational_risk": "high",
    "verification_risk": "medium",
    "source_ids": [
      "SRC-001",
      "SRC-010"
    ]
  },
  "confidence_notes": {
    "data_completeness": "Approximately 80% of major claims corroborated",
    "source_verification": "High reliance on major investigative journalism",
    "identity_confidence": "High",
    "timeline_confidence": "High",
    "conflicting_findings": "Degree of control over THORChain governance",
    "limitations": "Lack of access to private records and on-chain attribution certainty"
  }
}