Craig Wright, the self-proclaimed creator of Bitcoin, has once again found himself at the centre of attention.
Wright has encountered substantial legal hurdles and controversy surrounding his assertions of being Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous inventor of Bitcoin.
On 16 July, the UK High Court delivered a judgment against Wright, unequivocally stating that he is not Satoshi Nakamoto.
Consequently, Wright has been compelled to amend the homepage of his personal website with a legal notice acknowledging that he is not the creator of Bitcoin.
This notice, which must remain on Wright's website for six months, asserts that Wright "extensively and repeatedly" lied in court proceedings where he claimed to be Satoshi Nakamoto and "attempted to create a false narrative by forging documents 'on a grand scale'."
The declaration characterises Wright's intricate deception, perpetuated through "multiple legal actions," as a "most serious abuse" of the legal systems in the UK, Norway, and the US.
It also directs visitors to the full judgment against Wright and its appendix, which outlines various forged documents attributed to Wright.
The notice is part of a dissemination order granted by Justice James Mellor, the UK judge presiding over the case brought against Wright by the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA), a non-profit organisation representing Bitcoin developers committed to fostering innovation in the burgeoning crypto sector.
In 2016, Wright began claiming to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin, and aggressively sought to assert his rights over Bitcoin's intellectual property.
COPA, backed by industry leaders like Block's Jack Dorsey, Coinbase, and organisations such as Human Rights Watch, initiated legal action against Wright in 2021.
Their aim was to obtain a definitive ruling that Wright is not Nakamoto, thereby preventing him from claiming copyright over the Bitcoin whitepaper and from suing critics and developers under the pretense of being Bitcoin's creator.
Earlier this year, Judge Mellor ruled that Wright is not the creator of Bitcoin.
In a subsequent written judgment on 20 May, the High Court of England found Wright dishonest in his claims of being Satoshi Nakamoto.
The court noted his repeated lies and the forging and tampering of documents to support his false narratives.
This behavior constituted a serious abuse of the legal processes in the US, UK, and Norway.
The court has established that Wright is not the author of the Bitcoin whitepaper and does not hold its copyright.
Judge Mellor's final judgment not only ruled against Wright's claims but also referred him, along with his colleague Stefan Matthews, to UK prosecutors, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), for consideration of perjury charges, highlighting the extensive lies and document forgery.
The judge affirmed:
“I have no doubt that I should refer the relevant papers in this case to the CPS for consideration of whether a prosecution should be commenced against Dr Wright for his wholescale perjury and forgery of documents and/or whether a warrant for his arrest should be issued and/or whether his extradition should be sought from wherever he now is. All those matters are to be decided by the CPS.”
As a result, Wright was ordered to publicly acknowledge that he is neither the creator of Bitcoin nor the author of the Bitcoin whitepaper.
This dissemination order was part of Mellor's final judgment.
Wright was also directed to post a similar notice on his X account and Slack channels.
Despite his social media declarations, Wright had not yet updated his X account with the legal notice, and Mellor noted that Wright had not applied for permission to appeal the decision that he was not Satoshi Nakamoto.
His last post was on 20 May.
A COPA spokesperson noted shortly after the ruling:
“This decision is a win for developers, for the entire open source community, and for the truth. For over eight years, Dr. Wright and his financial backers have lied about his identity as Satoshi Nakamoto and used that lie to bully and intimidate developers in the bitcoin community. That ends today with the court’s ruling that Craig Wright is not Satoshi Nakamoto.”
Judge Mellor, presiding over the case in the UK, deemed a notice on Wright's website insufficient.
He highlighted that Wright's primary communication channels, formerly known as Twitter and Slack, were crucial in reaching his audience.
Consequently, a public declaration must be prominently displayed on Wright's website and social media accounts for six months.
Additionally, these notices will be visible for three months on his Slack channels.
The Australian computer scientist and Satoshi Nakamoto-claimant’s current location is unknown.
Evidence from COPA indicates that Wright has vacated his previous residence in Wimbledon and appears to have departed the UK.
His movements suggest he may be traveling in countries within the UTC +7 time zone, spanning areas in Russia's Siberia and Southeast Asia.
The investigation is nearing its conclusion, with differing opinions on the treatment of Wright's claims.
As the crypto community awaits the CPS investigation results, this case underscores the criticality of honesty and transparency in the industry.
These events provide valuable lessons for the future, shaping how similar claims will be handled.
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