Computer scientist Craig Wright says he is "Satoshi Nakamoto", the pseudonym of bitcoin's creator
Craig Wright was already found to have made false claims about being Satoshi Nakamoto, but he continued to insist that he is Bitcoin's creator. AFP

KEY POINTS

  • A UK judge previously ruled that Wright is not Satoshi Nakamoto
  • The same judge found the computer scientist in contempt of court Thursday
  • Wright was sentenced to 1 year in jail but said he will appeal

A British judge found computer scientist Craig Wright in contempt of court Thursday and was handed a 12-month jail sentence over the Australian computer expert's pursuit of his claim that he is Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin.

Brought by the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA), the case argued that Wright's October lawsuit violated the UK court's earlier ruling that barred him from pursuing lawsuits related to his claims of being the creator of the world's largest cryptocurrency.

Wright Previously Found Wrong

In March, Judge James Mellor ruled that Wright is not Satoshi Nakamoto, specifying that Wright "is not the author of the Bitcoin whitepaper."

The ruling stemmed from a COPA lawsuit wherein the nonprofit group alleged Wright forged documents to support his claims about being the Bitcoin creator. Mellor also found that Wright wasn't the individual/s who operated under the name Satoshi Nakamoto from 2008 through 2011 and he is not the person who came up with the Bitcoin system.

Wright Refuses to Drop Bitcoin Creator Claims

Despite the ruling earlier this year, Wright brought forth a new lawsuit in October, claiming that BTC developers deviated from the original iteration of the cryptocurrency's vision, thus misleading investors. He sought over $1 billion in damages in the said complaint.

COPA then filed to challenge Wright's lawsuit, pointing out that Wright breached Mellor's earlier court order to stop insisting his Nakamoto claims and should be found in contempt of court.

On Thursday, Mellor ruled on COPA's contempt case. "I have found, to the requisite criminal standard proof, that Dr. Wright committed each of the contempts alleged by COPA in their Grounds 1 to 5 inclusive. Indeed, in my judgment, there is no doubt whatever that each of these contempts has been proven," he wrote.

Wright didn't physically attend the Thursday hearing at the London High Court and is believed to be somewhere in Asia. He tuned in virtually as the court sentenced him to one year in jail, although Mellor suspended his sentence for two years. Wright said he will appeal the verdict.

Crypto Users React to Wright's 'Identity Theft' Attempts

Cryptocurrency users have shared their thoughts on the latest developments around Wright, who has become a thorn in the neck of Bitcoin developers whom he sued over the years for their work around the BTC network.

"His obsession with trying to steal Satoshi's identity is super bizarre," said one user who also described Wright as "one of the biggest scam artists and weirdos."

One user said a year in jail isn't enough for Wright, who "should be jailed for fraud, perjury, contempt of court" and should face criminal prosecution for his persecution of Bitcoin developers.

Another user expects significant implications for the Bitcoin community now that Wright is faced with jail time. "It also sets a precedent for dealing with individuals who misuse the legal system to asset unfounded claims."

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