Craig Wright, known as the “Fake Satoshi,” has been sentenced to 12 months in prison for contempt of court after violating a court order.
British judge James Mellor has issued a sentence against Craig Wright, known in the crypto world as the "Fake Satoshi", after having breached a court order which prevented him from initiating legal proceedings related to his claim to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin.
The ruling, issued in the United Kingdom, comes after Wright will sue Bitcoin Core and Square, Jack Dorsey's company, for allegedly misusing the BTC ticker, which represents the cryptocurrency in the markets. In response to Wright's new legal threat, Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) attorney Jonathan Hough said that Wright had infringed the court ruling prohibiting him from making such claims. Wright wanted to sue Bitcoin Core and Square for no less than $1,1 billion, which the crypto community, in general, considered absurd, especially after haber lost the trial against the organization non-profit, and being found guilty of committing “fraud on an industrial scale” by trying to declare himself as the real Satoshi.
Although the prison sentence is effective, it is suspended for two years, meaning Wright will not have to serve it immediately as long as he follows certain conditions imposed by the court. Judge Mellor, who previously ruled that Wright is not Satoshi Nakamoto, stressed that the evidence against him was "overwhelming" and reaffirmed that has no rights to Bitcoin nor can he claim authorship.
Wright has been accused of industrial-scale fraud and presenting false testimony amid his claim to be the creator of Bitcoin, without presenting any evidence to support or confirm it. Amidst all this, the recent conviction not only has legal implications for Wright, but also adds a new stain to the already controversial reputation of the Australian entrepreneur.
Craig Wright is not Satoshi Nakamoto, nor is he the creator of Bitcoin
As reported by Bit2Me News, Wright was found guilty of "fraud on an industrial scale" in March of this year, and accused of falsifying a large number of documents in his attempt to support his false claims of being Satoshi Nakamoto and having created Bitcoin. In this COPA trial against Wright, which extended over several months, a number of irregularities and manipulations that the businessman carried out to try to prove, without success, his alleged authorship of the Bitcoin whitepaper.
During the trial, compelling evidence was presented showing that Wright had altered emails, documents and metadata to support his claim.
COPA took Wright to court in an attempt to dismantle the entire web of lies he had fabricated over the years, which he used to intimidate and sue several developers and organizations, including Bitcoin.org, its pseudonymous administrator Cobra, and 13 other Bitcoin developers, in an effort to claim copyright to the Bitcoin whitepaper. These lawsuits were seen as a strategy to intimidate and silence his critics, which not only failed to achieve its goal, but exacerbated the animosity toward Wright.
Judge Mellor stressed in his judgment that Wright's actions were not only fraudulent, but constituted a “very serious abuse” from the legal systems of the United Kingdom, Norway and the United States.
Wright's claims deviate from Bitcoin's core principles
Amidst all the controversy that Wright has created, it is important to highlight that his claims are in clear disagreement with the principles and vision with which Bitcoin was created. The cryptocurrency was designed as a decentralized, global and accessible technology for all, with the aim of eliminating dependence on centralized intermediaries and providing an inclusive and secure financial alternative. The Bitcoin white paper, considered a public domain document, is a manifesto that has inspired thousands of developers and blockchain technology enthusiasts.
Wright, in his attempt to claim authorship of Bitcoin, has sought to monopolize a technology that, by definition, is open and collaborative. His desire to control and patent aspects of Bitcoin goes against the essence of cryptocurrency, which is based on collaboration and open innovation. The crypto community has categorically rejected Wright's claims, considering them an attack on the core values of decentralization and freedom that define Bitcoin.
COPA leaves a clear and forceful message
COPA’s victory against Wright has sent a clear and powerful message to the cryptocurrency community and society at large. This legal victory has not only succeeded in sanctioning Wright’s fraudulent actions, but is also reinforcing the importance of integrity and transparency in the crypto ecosystem.
The community has welcomed Judge Mellor's decision, which it believes protects the rights of developers and upholds the open and collaborative nature of Bitcoin.
At X, former nChain CEO Christen Ager-Hanssen said that the truth always prevails and that Wright has now been held accountable. Likewise, CasaHODL co-founder and chief security officer Jameson Lopp also commented on Wright's recent sentence, highlighting how the landscape has changed for the businessman in recent years.
BitMEX Research also stressed that the impact of this ruling extends beyond Wright's individual case, as it sets an important precedent that could deter the businessman from attempting further lawsuits against Bitcoin developers or cryptocurrency-related companies. explains, although the sentence issued is suspended for 2 years, Wright may not want to get involved in new legal cases for fear of triggering an arrest warrant against him. In other words, the recently issued sentence, along with the five counts of contempt of which he was found guilty, are likely to deter Wright from wanting to continue his attempts to manipulate or monopolize Bitcoin's revolutionary, decentralized technology.
