The High Court Ruling: Craig Wright Not Identified as Satoshi Nakamoto, the Bitcoin Pseudonymous Inventor
London, United Kingdom – In a significant development in the long-standing controversy surrounding the identity of Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous inventor of Bitcoin, an Australian computer scientist named Craig Wright was officially ruled out as the author of the 2008 white paper and the person who operated under that pseudonym by London’s High Court on Thursday.
Background: Craig Wright’s Claim to be Satoshi Nakamoto
Craig Wright has persistently claimed that he is the creator of the groundbreaking white paper, published under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. This text serves as Bitcoin’s foundational document. The Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA), an organization comprised of various members in the cryptocurrency industry, took legal action against Wright to prevent him from suing Bitcoin developers and to secure a definitive ruling that he was not Satoshi Nakamoto.
Judge James Mellor’s Verdict: Craig Wright is Not Satoshi Nakamoto
Following the conclusion of closing arguments on Thursday, Judge James Mellor stated that the evidence against Wright being Satoshi Nakamoto was “overwhelming.” He declared:
“Dr. Wright is not the author of the Bitcoin white paper. Dr. Wright is not the person who adopted or operated under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto in the period 2008 to 2011.”
COPA’s Victory: A Win for Developers and the Open Source Community
In response to this ruling, COPA expressed satisfaction with the outcome. Their spokesperson issued a statement asserting that:
“This is a win for developers, for the entire open source community, and for the truth. For over eight years, Dr. Wright and his financial backers have lied about his identity as Satoshi Nakamoto and used that lie to bully and intimidate developers in the Bitcoin community. That ends today with the court’s ruling that Craig Wright is not Satoshi Nakamoto.”
Craig Wright’s Response: Silence Following the Court Ruling
A spokesperson for Craig Wright did not make any comments following the ruling. COPA had accused Wright of producing forged documents and even using ChatGPT to create false evidence during the trial. Wright denied these allegations when he testified in court.
COPA’s Lawyer’s Closing Arguments: Perjury and Perverting the Course of Justice
During COPA’s closing arguments in February, their lawyer, Jonathan Hough, accused Wright of committing perjury and perverting the course of justice. He expressed that:
“Dr. Wright’s conduct is also deadly serious. On the basis of his dishonest claim to be Satoshi, he has pursued claims he puts at hundreds of billions of dollars, including against numerous private individuals.”
The Future Implications: No Indication of Prosecution by the Crown Prosecution Service
Although Wright’s lawyers argued that he had presented clear evidence to prove his authorship and creation of Bitcoin, COPA requested that Judge Mellor refer the case to Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service for consideration of prosecution for perjury and perverting the course of justice. However, Mellor did not indicate whether or not he would pursue this action.
Conclusion: The Court Ruling Brings Clarity and Finality to the Satoshi Nakamoto Controversy
