Michaela Alvez
Australian computer scientist Craig Wright, who falsely claimed to be Bitcoin’s creator, has been sentenced to one year in prison for contempt of court.
In March, a UK court determined that Wright was not Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin. Despite this ruling, he continued to pursue lawsuits claiming intellectual property rights.
On December 19, Judge James Mellor sentenced Wright to 12 months in prison, which is suspended for two years. Wright was also fined £145,000 (approximately $180,000) for five counts of contempt of court.
Prior to Wright’s sentencing, Justice Mellor determined that Wright had repeatedly falsified claims about being the mysterious creator of Bitcoin. As a result, Justice Mellor rejected Wright’s intellectual property rights over Bitcoin after uncovering evidence of his intent to fabricate ownership.
In its ruling, the court criticized Wright for using poorly executed forgeries and relying on convoluted technical jargon to back his claims.
The contempt ruling stemmed from a lawsuit filed by the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA), which accused Wright of violating a court order from July. This court order required him to cease lawsuits on the basis that he was Bitcoin’s creator. After the ruling, Wright effectively acknowledged he was not Satoshi on his website.
COPA attorney Jonathan Hough argued that Wright defied the ruling in October after taking legal action against over 100 companies, seeking approximately 900 billion British pounds in damages based on his claims of being Satoshi Nakamoto.
During the hearing, Wright appeared via video link and refused to reveal his exact location, with court documents stating that he was either in Indonesia or Singapore. He also claimed he would attend in person only if he were compensated £240,000 for costs and lost income.
As a result, UK authorities would need to issue an international arrest warrant if they wish to detain him.
Wright is one of several individuals who have either claimed or been identified as Satoshi Nakamoto. However, all such claims have been debunked or dismissed, leaving the search for the true creator ongoing.
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Michaela has no crypto positions and does not hold any crypto assets. This article is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. The Shib Magazine and The Shib Daily are the official media and publications of the Shiba Inu cryptocurrency project. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial adviser before making any investment decisions.
