Court Orders Craig Wright to Deny Being Satoshi Nakamoto

In a landmark ruling by the UK High Court in March, Dr. Craig Wright has been mandated to publicly refute claims of being the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto. The court’s decision compels Wright to make clear declarations on his website, Twitter account, and all Slack channels, emphasizing that he is not the architect of Bitcoin.

Justice Mellor, presiding over the case, specified that a simple notice on Wright’s website would be insufficient. The judge ordered that Wright’s denial must be prominently displayed, pinned for six months on his website and social media platforms, and for three months on his Slack channels. This decision follows revelations that Wright had “lied […] extensively and repeatedly” during the proceedings, even forging documents to support his false claims of being Nakamoto.

Details of the False Claims and Legal Consequences

The court’s declaration on Wright’s website detailed that in his quest to establish himself as Satoshi, Wright not only presented forged documents but also committed “a most serious abuse” of legal processes across the UK, Norway, and the USA. Furthermore, Wright must acknowledge several truths: he is not the author of the Bitcoin white paper, does not hold its copyright, never operated under the name Satoshi Nakamoto from 2008 to 2011, did not create the Bitcoin system, and is not the author of the initial versions of the Bitcoin software.

The ruling also restricts Wright from initiating any further legal actions in the UK related to his claims about being Nakamoto. He is barred from suing, threatening to sue, or encouraging others to do so based on his disproven assertions.

In addition to the civil repercussions, the court has forwarded relevant documents to the Crown Prosecution Service for consideration of criminal charges against Wright for perjury and document forgery. The extent of these potential charges beyond the UK remains uncertain.

Wright has been embroiled in legal disputes since 2021, particularly with the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) and several Bitcoin Core developers, over his unfounded claims. Despite his efforts to settle these disputes out of court earlier this year to avoid escalating legal costs, COPA rejected his proposals, highlighting inconsistencies and potential loopholes in Wright’s settlement offers.

Following the court’s verdict, UK authorities froze $7.4 million of Wright’s assets to cover COPA’s legal expenses and prevent him from dissipating his resources. COPA regards the court’s decision as a victory for both the open-source community and the integrity of the Bitcoin network, ensuring that developers can continue their work without the threat of litigation.

This ruling marks a significant moment in the cryptocurrency world, emphasizing the importance of transparency and truth in the continually evolving digital landscape.