Australian computer scientist, Craig Wright, who has falsely claimed to be the creator of Bitcoin, has been slapped with a one-year suspended prison sentence by the high court in London. The court found Wright in contempt for persistently suing people despite being ordered to stop doing so. The 54-year old had insisted that he is Satoshi Nakamoto – the pseudonymous innovator behind Bitcoin which skyrocketed to £79,000 recently.
The court found Wright to be repeatedly dishonest about his claims and his attempted proof displayed “clumsy forgeries” on a wide scale and abundant “technobabble”. His assertion of owning the intellectual property rights linked to Bitcoin was disproved. Despite the court’s order, Wright flouted rules by proceeding with lawsuits against cryptocurrency developers, thereby levying more than £900bn concerned with his alleged Bitcoin-related intellectual property rights.
Wright’s repeated insistence on being Nakamoto and continuous legal threats have “terrorized” people, says Jonathan Hough KC, counsel for the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA). The not-for-profit group encompassing cryptocurrency firms had initiated the legal action against Wright. Hough also added that Wright’s latest lawsuits were simply desperate attempts at gaining publicity and maintaining his supporters.
Last week, Wright was charged with five counts of contempt of court and was ordered to pay £145,000 in costs within two weeks. His colossal claims were denounced by the court. Despite his allegedly unfair treatment by the British aristocracy, the court declared his contempt established “beyond reasonable doubt”.
Wright, who joined the court proceedings via video link from an undisclosed location in Asia, has expressed intentions to appeal. He reportedly refused to attend the hearing in person unless he was compensated £240,000 for his expenses and potential loss of income. The high court, however, has remained steadfast and unswayed by Wright’s numerous attempts to circumvent the truth.