Craig Wright, an Australian “computer scientist” who claimed to be the author of Bitcoin, was sentenced to one year in prison, suspended for two years, after being caught guilty of contempt of court. The contempt ruling comes from Wright filing a £911 billion lawsuit opposed to Bitcoin Core developers and Square Up Europe Limited, in direct violation of a March 2024 court order.
The Crypto Open Patent Alliance, represented through Jonathan Hough KC of Bird & Bird LLP, initiated contempt proceedings against Wright. Backed by industry leaders such as Coinbase, Kraken, and MicroStrategy, COPA aims to open source technologies and avoid restrictive patent practices.
The case stems from allegations that Wright violated a court injunction prohibiting him from announcing legal claims discovered on his purported identity of Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous author of Bitcoin. The injunction was issued following a March 2024 ruling through the UK High Court, in which Judge Mellor discovered “overwhelming evidence” that Wright is not Satoshi Nakamoto. The court found that Wright had lied extensively and falsified documents to his claims, preventing him from seeking additional legal proceedings similar to his alleged identity as Satoshi Nakamoto.
In the judgment, Judge Mellor criticised Wright’s conduct, stating that he had “extensively and repeatedly” lied and forged documents “on a grand scale.” The judge emphasised that Wright’s actions were a misuse of the court system, intended to deceive and manipulate legal proceedings to his advantage.
Less than six months after the injunction, Wright launched his latest lawsuit targeting 26 defendants, a figure that has since grown to over 100 companies globally. COPA’s legal team, Bird & Bird, described Wright’s behavior as part of a continued campaign of harassment and a “distortion of reality.” Judge Mellor confirmed that the hearing would proceed in Wright’s absence after he failed to appear, citing questionable excuses.
“Dr. Wright is absent that he was well informed of the audience,” Hough said at the beginning of the procedures. “In any other case, it would be extraordinary, but, in this case, it is expected. “
Wright has selected to believe and said prohibitive travel prices prevented his presence. Copa had proposed two pas at two expenses, adding flights, but refused. He said involvement in court would lead to £240,000 in lost business. He also wrote in an email that even if this amount were canopy, he would still not attend the hearing. Hough highlighted Wright’s well-documented history and described his claims as incredible.
Wright gave the impression via video link to listen to the sentence, but when asked through Judge Mellor to specify which country he was in, he refused to disclose it. Mellor asked, “So you’re not even willing to say which country?”Wright replied, “I’m in Asia. ” Mellor replied dryly: “It is not a country. »
The judge also dismissed Wright’s arguments about his autism spectrum disorder and personal safety concerns, noting that he had participated in multiple legal actions in the past without raising similar issues.
In his conclusion, passing judgment on Mellor said: “I discovered, at the point of Crook’s evidence, required, that Dr. Wright committed each of the outraged excursions through the Cup on his land 1 through five inclusive. In fact, in my opinion, there is no doubt that every one of those outrages has been proven.
Hough argued that Wright’s moves were premeditated and vexatious, crediting him with reviving already established cases and the judicial formula as a weapon to silence critics. He described Wright’s efforts as a “desperate exposure stunt” to keep his “sectarian supporters engaged. “Judge Mellor emphasized Wright’s lack of remorse and the planned nature of his moves.
The court concluded that Wright’s contempt was of such gravity that only a custodial sentence would suffice. Wright was also ordered to pay £144,000 in legal costs within 14 days.
Given the extensive history of Wright’s legal disputes and controversies, this sentence marks the end of its legal battles. However, it can serve as a step to restrict the damage it can inflict in the future.
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