Craig Wright to Face Another Trial?
For years, Craig Wright has claimed he was the real Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator behind the seminal Bitcoin White Paper. However, after a series of defeats in the High Court of England and Wales, he has finally admitted to falsely claiming this identity. But is this the final chapter in Dr. Craig Wright’s story?
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As reported, the official “coming out” announcement appeared on Craig Wright's website. This post was part of a settlement with the authorities (the court's decision regarding the false Satoshi was made on May 20). Given his history, it's unlikely that Wright would have voluntarily confessed to the fabrications that seemingly defined his entire life.
Shortly after the official statement was released, Wright's website deleted all its stored content, now presenting merely as a basic web page. Wright's legal advisors likely recommended this action to mitigate potential legal challenges. Given his current circumstances, it's quite possible that he no longer retains legal representation.
Why is Craig Wright Facing Further Legal Action?
Currently, the court has consolidated all cases against Craig Wright into one known as “COPA v Wright: The Identity Issue.”
*COPA (Crypto Open Patent Alliance) is supported by crypto enthusiasts including Jack Dorsey (founder of Twitter and head of Block), as well as major exchanges like Coinbase and Kraken, all of whom have pursued legal actions against Wright.
Judge James Mellor determined that the Bitcoin SV founder repeatedly and extensively lied to the court, and his purported proofs that he was the real Satoshi Nakamoto were fabricated on a massive scale. This ruling supports previous findings from the Kleiman v. Wright case, which described Wright as “belligerent, argumentative and deliberately provocative.”
In his decision to merge multiple cases, Judge Mellor highlighted that Wright had not appealed any of them, including the lawsuits from Coinbase and Kraken which resulted in a $516,000 fine against him. Wright's only compliance has been to post a statement on his website, acknowledging the court's declaration that he is neither Satoshi Nakamoto nor the creator of Bitcoin.
Furthermore, Judge Mellor ordered Wright to disseminate this information on his X account and the Slack channels he frequents, to ensure it reaches a wider audience. Contrary to this, on May 20, a post appeared on the specified account declaring the owner's firm intention to challenge the court’s decision on the identity issue. This could be interpreted as: “I will disagree, I won’t tell anyone, but you will receive a signal from me.”
Wright shows no signs of conceding. Source: Х
*A judge has declined COPA's request for Craig Wright to publish a notice of his legal defeat in The Times, a platform he had previously used for self-promotion.
Additionally, Wright is required to pay over £6 million to cover COPA's legal expenses.
Considering that the “false Bitcoin creator” reportedly earns about £160,000 annually, fulfilling this obligation could prove challenging. Furthermore, Wright has another significant debt stemming from a July 2013 accusation of perjury, where the court ordered him to pay $100 million to Kleiman’s widow and over $43 million to the W&K company. To date, the plaintiffs have received none of these funds, as Wright continues to appeal.
Potentially exacerbating Wright's troubles, Judge Mellor has recommended that the UK's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) consider prosecuting him on new charges initiated by Jack Dorsey this week. This case involves allegations of document forgery and harassment of notable Bitcoin enthusiast Magnus Granath (Hodlonaut). If Wright is found guilty in this matter, he could face another substantial fine or even imprisonment.
Given the massive fines already imposed on Wright and the ongoing “Wright vs. Kleiman” case, it seems probable that he might temporarily reduce his public controversies. For now, we might also enjoy a respite from his frequent headline-making antics.
Wright’s current location is unknown, with speculation suggesting that he has left the UK and may now be in Southeast Asia.
For holders of the BSV project, which Wright not only founded but also heavily influenced, the initial reaction was a sharp decline in the coin's value following the fallout from its creator's troubles. However, the coin has since shown signs of a slow but steady recovery.
Still, the overarching question—Who is Satoshi Nakamoto?—remains open, even as the list of potential candidates shrinks by one.
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