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Craig Wright, an Australian computer scientist who claimed to be Bitcoin’s inventor, faces referral to British prosecutors for alleged perjury. British High Court Judge James Mellor referred the case to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). According to the Judge, Wright forged documents and lied under oath to support his claim of being Satoshi Nakamoto. The CPS will decide if they should prosecute Wright, potentially issuing an arrest warrant or seeking extradition.
Craig Wright first came into the spotlight in 2016 when he claimed to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the mysterious creator of Bitcoin. He attempted to prove his identity through various means, but his evidence was widely discredited and he never demonstrated credibly that he has control over Satoshi’s known Bitcoin wallets. Despite this, Wright pursued legal action against several individuals and organisations worldwide, asserting his supposed intellectual property rights over Bitcoin. The Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA), a non-profit organisation advocating for open-source development, filed a lawsuit against him in April 2021. COPA aimed to stop Wright from claiming copyright over the Bitcoin whitepaper and from suing Bitcoin developers.
On July 16, Judge Mellor’s written ruling indicated that Wright’s actions warranted a referral to the CPS for perjury charges. COPA’s legal team presented evidence and expert testimony that exposed Wright’s false evidence and inconsistencies in his claims. Judge Mellor emphasised the seriousness of Wright’s false claims. The judge noted that authorities could pursue prosecution and even an arrest warrant. This ruling underscores the gravity of Wright’s actions and the potential legal ramifications he now faces.
On July 5, the High Court of the United Kingdom also issued a World Freezing Order on his assets. This order prevents Wright from moving his assets, ensuring he remains accountable for his actions. Additionally, referring to the ruling, Wright should pay substantial costs, amounting to nearly £6 million, to cover the legal expenses incurred by COPA and other defendants. This financial burden adds to the growing list of consequences Wright faces due to his fraudulent litigation conduct.
Wright’s current location is unknown, and he appears to have left the UK. His billionaire backer, Calvin Ayre, recently revealed that Wright would be “taking off on an adventure” that he has been planning for the past year. Wright was last known to be in the time zone of UTC+7, according to Judge Mellor’s filing. All things considered, this seems to mark the end of the road in the long-running saga of Wright’s disputed identity as the creator of Bitcoin. Apart from referring the case to CPS, the judge also ordered Craig Wright to post a statement on his website stating that he is not Satoshi Nakamoto. The statement is now live on https://craigwright.net/. While the true identity of Bitcoin’s creator remains a mystery, it is now legally confirmed that he is not Craig Wright.