CraigWright,theAustraliancomputerscientistwhoclaimstobeSatoshiNakamoto,theanonymousfounderofBitcoin,isinfreshlegaltrouble.HenowfacescontemptofcourtchargesintheUK.
Thechargesfollowa£911million($1.1billion)lawsuithefiledagainstSquareUpEuropeLimited,afirmownedbyJackDorsey’spaymentcompanyBlock(FormerlyknownasSquare).
CraigWright’scontemptcaseandlegalbattles
Wrightwasinalong-standinglitigationwithBitcoincoredevelopersregardingclaimsthatheisSatoshiNakamoto.However,theHighCourtofEnglandandWalesfoundhisclaimstobefalse.
TheCryptoOpenPatentAlliance(COPA),whichBlockbelongsto,tooklegalactiontopreventWrightfromsuingBitcoindevelopersinthefuture.ThecourtplacedaninjunctiononWrighttostophimfromfilingfuturelawsuitswhereheclaimstobeSatoshi.
Inthislatestcase,COPAarguesthatWright’slawsuitagainstBlockcontravenesthisinjunction.
WrightattendedthecourthearingearliertodayinresponsetoCOPA’scontemptapplication.Heappearedwithoutlegalrepresentation.ThecontempthearingwasscheduledforDecember18.
Therewasalsoadebateabouthisphysicalpresence.WrightarguedthatheisautisticandwouldliketoattendthehearingvirtuallyfromSingaporeduetohiscondition.Thejudgerequestedfurtherevidenceofthisconditiontobesubmittedtosubstantiatehisrequesttoattendvirtually.
SatoshiNakamoto’sidentity
Satoshi’sidentityhasbeencontestedsinceBitcoinwaslaunchedin2009.WrighthasbeenoneofthemostvocalvoicesclaimingtobeBitcoin’sfounder.However,ajudgeoftheHighCourtofEnglandholdsthatWrightliedextensivelyandfalsifieddocumentstosupporttheseclaims.
“DrWrightpresentshimselfasanextremelycleverperson.However,inmyjudgment,heisnotnearlyascleverashethinksheis.Inbothhiswrittenevidenceandindaysoforalevidenceundercross-examination,IamentirelysatisfiedthatDrWrightliedtothecourtextensivelyandrepeatedly,”thejudgesaid.
ThejudgealsomaintainsthatSatoshiwon’thavemanyissuesprovinghisidentity.However,whilethejudge’swordshintatthepotentiallegalhurdlesfutureclaimantscouldfacetosubstantiatetheirclaims,italsoimpliedlegalrepercussionsalreadypilingupagainsttheSatoshiNakamotocharacter.
Followingthelegalproceeding,Wright’swebsitenowfeaturesalegalnoticeemphaticallystatingthatDr.CraigStevenWrightisnotSatoshiNakamoto.
InOctober2024,HBOreleasedadocumentarythatpurportedlyunmaskedSatoshiasPeterTodd,aCanadianscientist.TodddeniedtheseclaimsandhasexpressedconcernsaboutharassmentandharmfrompeoplewhobelieveheisSatoshi.
IntheeventthatSatoshi’sidentityisrevealed,itcouldhaveprofoundlegalimplications.InAugust2023,theUnitedStateschargedthefoundersofTornadoCash,acryptomixingservice,withmoneylaundering.Asthefoundationofafinancialsystemthatoperatesoutsidetraditionalregulations,Bitcoincouldalsobeimplicatedinhelpingtocreateandfacilitatetheseillicittransactions.
Wright’slegaltroublesalsoshowtheremightbesubstantiallegalimplicationsforindividualsclaimingtobeSatoshiNakamoto.IftheymakefalseclaimslikeWright,thecourt’srulingalreadyshowstheremaybeconsequencesformisleadingpeopleaboutBitcoin’sorigins.
ThiscasealsoraisesquestionsabouthowlegalsystemsmightaddressfutureclaimantstoBitcoin’slegacy.TheinjunctionagainstWrightdemonstratesthatlegalinstitutionscanpreventdubiousclaimsfromattemptingtomonopolizeorleverageBitcoin’soriginforpersonalgain.
cryptopolitan.com