Key takeaways:
- A UK judge recently ruled that Craig Wright is not Satoshi Nakamoto or the author of the Bitcoin whitepaper
- The case, brought forth by the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA)
In a landmark ruling on Thursday, a UK court declared that Australian computer scientist Craig Wright is not the elusive figure known as Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin.
High Court judge James Mellor described the evidence as “overwhelming,” confirming that Wright did not adopt the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto or create the Bitcoin system.
The case, brought by the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA), concluded after a month-long trial, with Judge Mellor making several key declarations.
These include affirming that Wright did not write the Bitcoin whitepaper, is not Satoshi Nakamoto as he claims, did not invent Bitcoin, and did not author initial versions of Bitcoin software.
COPA sought injunctive relief to prevent Wright from further claiming to be Nakamoto, accusing him of extensive document forgery to support his claim. The alliance’s closing submission highlighted Wright’s fabrication of an entire biographical history with forged documents.
The trial commenced on February 5, with Wright offering to settle out of court on January 24, an offer COPA declined. Prominent figures in the Bitcoin community, including Adam Back and Martti Malmi, publicly challenged Wright’s assertions during the trial, asserting that he is not Nakamoto.
This isn’t the first legal entanglement for Wright regarding Bitcoin. In 2023, he sued 13 Bitcoin Core developers and various companies for copyright violations related to the Bitcoin whitepaper and blockchain.
In response, the Bitcoin Legal Defense Fund condemned the lawsuit, labeling it as frivolous but effective in deterring developers from working on Bitcoin.
Wright has publicly claimed to be Nakamoto since 2016, facing widespread skepticism and criticism. Despite filing defamation suits against those who doubted his claims, conclusive evidence supporting his assertions remains elusive.
Just recently, Craig Wright was accused of fabricating evidence to reinforce his assertion of being Satoshi Nakamoto in the ongoing COPA vs. Wright trial. The authenticity of these emails holds significant importance in either validating or disputing Wright’s longstanding assertion of being Satoshi Nakamoto.
The court’s ruling marks a significant development in the ongoing saga surrounding Bitcoin’s creator, adding another layer to the mystery that continues to captivate the cryptocurrency community.
