Craig Wright’s Lies and Forgeries: The Judge’s Rules
A British judge has ruled that Craig Wright, who claimed to be Bitcoin founder Satoshi Nakamoto, lied extensively and falsified documents during his high-profile trial.
In a scathing 231-page ruling, Judge James Mellor said Wright had “repeatedly lied to the court” and committed “large-scale” forgery in failed attempts to prove he was Nakamoto.
A group of cryptocurrency companies has filed a civil lawsuit called the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) to block Wright from claiming to have invented Bitcoin.
BREAKING NEWS: 🇬🇧 A judge just announced a ruling in COPA v. Craig Wright that Craig is not Satoshi Nakamoto.
a landslide victory #Bitcoin 👏 pic.twitter.com/rCSewIhsA9
— Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) May 20, 2024
Mellor wrote that Wright presented fake documents and gave false testimony supporting “his biggest lie: claiming to be Satoshi Nakamoto.”
The judge ruled that Wright was neither the author of the Bitcoin white paper nor the person who hid behind the pseudonym Satoshi from 2008 to 2011.
Moreover, Mellor ruled that Wright does not have copyright ownership rights to sue Bitcoin developers, as he has done in the past.
The judge criticized Wright’s narrative as “incoherent and full of nonsensical explanations” and said Wright was “not as clever as he thinks he is.”
COPA lawyers accused Wright of widespread fraud and forgery throughout the trial. They also presented technical evidence exposing the fake document, which Wright justified with an “eloquent but ultimately unconvincing answer.”
Following the damning ruling, Wright has already dismissed several lawsuits based on the premise that he is Nakamoto. But Mellor’s ruling only prevents him from bringing new claims in the UK rather than in any other jurisdiction.
The case raised questions about the source of funds for Wright’s lawsuit. Online gambling mogul Calvin Ayre was rumored to be supporting Wright financially, but both men denied this.
Overall, the judge’s unequivocal ruling was a major blow to Wright’s reputation and credibility. COPA hopes the ruling will stop further legal action against Wright, despite a potential appeal.
For the Bitcoin community, this provides great relief from his past claims and threats of lawsuits.
