Judge James Mellor concluded that Craig Wright’s assertions of being Bitcoin’s mysterious creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, are false. This judgement comes after a comprehensive evaluation of evidence in the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) case.
According to local reports, Mellor’s written judgement detailed Wright’s extensive and repeated lies, both in written and oral testimonies, asserting that Wright was not Nakamoto and did not author the foundational Bitcoin white paper.
Judge Mellor’s ruling, delivered after a month-long trial, marks a pivotal moment for the cryptocurrency community. He unequivocally stated that Wright is not the individual behind the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, nor is he the creator of the Bitcoin system or the author of its initial software versions. The verdict is subject to appeal, but for now, it provides a sense of relief to the broader crypto industry, which has often found itself at odds with Wright’s persistent legal claims.
COPA, an alliance with backing from notable figures like Twitter founder Jack Dorsey and crypto exchange Coinbase, initiated legal action against Wright in 2021. The trial, which began on February 5, accused Wright of forgery and perjury. COPA’s primary goal is to safeguard the adoption of cryptocurrency and combat threats to its innovation. Following the trial, COPA plans to seek injunctions to prevent Wright from continuing to assert his claim as Nakamoto and from pursuing further legal actions against Bitcoin developers.
Judge Mellor’s findings were damning for Wright. He noted that Wright’s dishonesty primarily revolved around forged documents intended to support his Nakamoto claim. “I am entirely satisfied that Dr. Wright lied to the Court extensively and repeatedly,” Mellor stated, emphasizing the falsehoods presented during the trial.
This is not the first time Wright has been at the center of controversy within the Bitcoin community. Recently, Wright has publicly criticized Bitcoin core developers through social media, accusing them of hindering progress and undermining the efforts of dedicated contributors. Wright alleged that modifications to Bitcoin Core software negate the work of developers and infringe on innovators’ rights by blurring the lines between open source and public domain, which he equates to theft.
Wright’s contentious relationship with Bitcoin developers has also seen him involved in other legal disputes. A business linked to Wright filed a lawsuit against the developers, accusing them of refusing to help recover assets allegedly stolen in February 2020. However, a British court ruled against Wright, determining that he was not entitled to compensation for his claims.
