A British judge has ruled that Craig Wright, who claimed to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin, lied extensively and forged documents during a high-profile trial.
In a scathing ruling of 231 pagesJudge James Mellor stated that Wright “repeatedly lied to the court” and committed fraud “on a massive scale” in a failed attempt to prove he was Nakamoto.
A group of cryptocurrency companies brought a civil suit, the Cryptocurrency Open Patent Alliance (COPA), that sought to block Wright from claiming to have invented Bitcoin.
BREAKING: 🇬🇧 The judge just published his ruling in the COPA lawsuit against Craig Wright that Craig is not Satoshi Nakamoto.
A landslide victory for #Bitcoin 👏 pic.twitter.com/rCSewIhsA9
– Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) May 20, 2024
Mellor wrote that Wright provided false documents and gave false testimony to support “his biggest lie — his claim to be Satoshi Nakamoto.”
The judge decided that Wright was neither the author of the Bitcoin whitepaper nor the person behind the pseudonym Satoshi from 2008 to 2011.
Furthermore, Mellor ruled that Wright did not have ownership of the copyright that would enable him to sue Bitcoin developers, as he had done in the past.
The judge criticized Wright's account as “full of inconsistencies and ridiculous interpretations” and said Wright “was not as intelligent as he thought he was.”
COPA attorneys accused Wright of widespread deception and forgery throughout the trial. They also presented technical evidence revealing forged documents, which Wright justified with “smooth but ultimately unconvincing answers.”
After the damning ruling, Wright actually dropped several lawsuits based on him being Nakamoto. However, Mellor's ruling only prevents him from bringing new claims in the UK, not in other jurisdictions.
The case raised questions about the source of Wright's litigation funding. Online gambling tycoon Calvin Ayre is rumored to be financially supporting Wright, but both men deny this.
Overall, the judge's conclusive findings represent a major blow to Wright's reputation and credibility. COPA hopes the ruling will discourage further legal action by Wright despite potential appeals.
For the Bitcoin community, it provides significant relief from its previous claims and threats of litigation.