Craig Wright claimed to have invented Bitcoin, and was found in contempt of court

What’s new

An Australian computer scientist has repeatedly claimed that it is BitcoinThe content creator was found in contempt of the High Court in London on Thursday.

Why does it matter?

Dr. Craig Wright’s claims and subsequent lawsuits have been controversial in the world of cryptocurrencies, as Bitcoin’s decentralized ethos directly opposes the monopoly control it sought.

The court’s decision represents a major victory for Cryptocurrency Open Patent Alliance (COPA), a consortium of technology and cryptocurrency companies that advocates for the development of open source software. By challenging Wright’s lawsuits, COPA aims to prevent disruption to Bitcoin development and protect the broader spectrum Cryptocurrency The ecosystem of litigation threats directed by Wright, involving claims totaling more than £900 billion ($1.1 trillion).

What do you know?

Judge James Mellor sentenced Wright to a 12-month suspended prison sentence for violating a court order preventing him from pursuing legal claims related to Bitcoin’s intellectual property.

Wright, who attended the hearing via video link from Asia, intends to appeal.

The Australian-born, English-based computer scientist first claimed that “Satoshi Nakamoto“, a pseudonym that concealed the identity of Bitcoin’s creator, in 2016. He confirmed that he was the author of the 2008 White Paper, a founding document for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

He provided false documents to support his assertions, according to findings at the High Court in London earlier this year. His deception consisted largely of “large-scale” forgeries and “technical chatter.” For this reason, Judge Mellor ruled in March 2024 that Wright did not create Bitcoin and had fabricated evidence to support his claim.

Wright went on to commit “clear violation” of a March court order prohibiting further legal action related to his supposed intellectual property rights in Bitcoin.

His actions led to contempt proceedings brought by COPA, which argued that his ongoing lawsuits are intended to “intimidate” developers and maintain a false narrative about Bitcoin’s origins. The court threw out Wright’s huge claims and ordered him to pay £145,000 in legal costs within two weeks.

What people say

Judge James Mellor told the court: “Both in his written evidence and in the days of oral evidence under cross-examination, I am absolutely satisfied that Dr. Wright lied to the court extensively and repeatedly.”

“Most of his lies related to the documents he forged, which he claimed supported his claim. All of his lies and forged documents supported his biggest lie: his claim to be Satoshi Nakamoto.”

Jonathan Hogg QC, counsel for COPA, told the court: Wright’s legal threats had “terrified” people, put “developers and bloggers through… years of personal hell” and that the new allegations were intended to “cause as much distress as possible”.

What happens next

Wright’s suspended sentence allows him to avoid prison if he refrains from filing further lawsuits. However, he has announced plans to appeal the contempt ruling. Legal experts indicate that the appeal is unlikely to succeed, given the strength of the evidence against him.

The ruling is expected to impact three pending lawsuits filed by Wright based on his claims to intellectual property rights in Bitcoin. It remains to be seen whether Wright will continue his efforts to claim ownership of the cryptocurrency’s intellectual foundation, but the court’s decision has significantly weakened his legal position.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.