The U.K. High Court has ruled that Craig Wright cannot be identified as Satoshi Nakamoto, and he didn’t author Bitcoin’s whitepaper.
The decision ends a lengthy period of speculation and legal battles. The Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) initiated the court case, aiming to stop Wright from filing lawsuits against developers and others in the cryptocurrency sphere for allegedly infringing on Bitcoin’s intellectual property.
Throughout the trial, which lasted a month, the judge found the evidence against Wright’s claim convincing and announced he would detail his findings in a forthcoming judgment, emphasizing Wright’s non-involvement in Bitcoin’s creation.
The verdict is a triumph for COPA, which has received support from prominent figures and companies in the tech and cryptocurrency industries, including Twitter founder Jack Dorsey and Coinbase.
Additionally, Justice Mellor dismissed two related lawsuits filed by Wright, one against Coinbase and another against Dorsey’s Block, based on his supposed rights to the Bitcoin blockchain. The dismissals hinge on the decision of the main case, suggesting Wright’s claim as Satoshi has no merit.
The trial spanned six weeks, with COPA challenging Wright’s assertion of being Bitcoin’s creator, pointing out that he had allegedly provided false evidence and changed his story when faced with contradictions. Jonathan Hough, representing COPA, emphasized Wright’s credibility issues during the closing arguments.
Wright has pursued several lawsuits in the past five years, asserting his rights as the founder of the premier cryptocurrency. COPA’s legal action aimed to halt Wright’s claims and prevent future litigation. A COPA representative expressed the goal of stopping Wright from making further Satoshi claims to avoid additional legal disputes, citing concerns over possible legal repercussions from Wright.
