Craig Wright lied “extensively and repeatedly” about creating Bitcoin

A UK Supreme Court judge has ruled that American computer scientist Craig Wright lied and forged during his trial.

In a written decision released Monday, Judge James Mellor ruled that Wright committed perjury in the six-week-old COPA v Wright case and claimed he was Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto. Mellor concluded that Wright used forged documents to make false claims.

“It is clear that Dr. Wright deliberately produced false documents to support false claims and use the Courts as a tool to defraud,” Mellor wrote. “Dr. I am entirely satisfied that Wright lied extensively and repeatedly to the Court. All his lies and forged documents supported his biggest lie: the claim that he was Satoshi Nakamoto.”

In March, Mellor concluded that Wright was not Nakamoto and did not write the “white paper” that was Bitcoin’s foundational document. Mellor explained: “Dr Wright presents himself as an extremely intelligent person. But in my opinion he is not as intelligent as he thinks he is.”

Legal struggle with COPA

Over the years, Wright has boldly claimed that he was the genius behind Bitcoin. This claim was met with skepticism and controversy, leading to a legal battle with the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA), a major player in the crypto industry. COPA filed a lawsuit against Craig Wright in 2021. The trial began on February 5 and saw COPA indict Wright for forgery and later perjury.

Wright has not publicly responded to Mellor’s statements, but posted on X stating: “I intend to appeal the court’s decision regarding the identity issue.”

Decision implications

The decision has significant implications for the cryptocurrency industry. It confirms the decentralized and leaderless essence of Bitcoin and ensures that no single individual can claim its origin. This court decision finally resolved one of the most controversial and widely publicized allegations regarding the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto.

The legal consequences of Wright’s perjury are not yet known, but $7.6 million in assets were frozen in March to prevent Wright from moving assets overseas to avoid the costs of litigation.

Feeling lost, Wright tried to resolve the dispute with COPA out of court in January, but COPA refused.