Witnesses Testify in Craig Wright's UK Trial Over Satoshi Nakamoto Claims

According to CoinDesk, three witnesses for Craig Wright testified on Monday as the third week of a trial in a U.K. high court began, which could determine if Wright is indeed Bitcoin inventor Satoshi Nakamoto. A key witness, Stefan Matthews, co-founder of tech company nChain, had to defend a statement he made about the trial, raising questions about whether he believed Wright was being disingenuous. Matthews clarified that his comment referred to Wright's uncooperative strategy and plan for the trial, and insisted he did not think Wright was a fake. The Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) and a group of Bitcoin developers have challenged Wright's claims that he is the cryptocurrency's pseudonymous creator, Satoshi Nakamoto. Before Matthews testified on Monday, David Bridges, CIO of Qudos Bank, and Wright's cousin Max Lynam participated via video link. Both admitted that key events or conversations that convinced them Wright was Satoshi took place years ago and without material proof to back them up. Bridges has previously drawn parallels between Bitcoin's underlying technology blockchain and an event logging system created by Wright, but admitted he did not have the expertise to make a detailed technical comparison. All three witnesses testified on Wright's behalf at a previous Oslo trial, where Bitcoin developer Hodlonaut challenged Wright's assertions that he was Satoshi. The trial will continue at least until mid-March, according to tentative schedules shared by the court.