Craig Wright Sentenced to One Year in Jail for Court Contempt
Dr. Craig Wright, who claims to be the creator of Bitcoin, received a one-year jail sentence and two years suspension for contempt of court. He must pay £145,000 in costs within two weeks. Wright's legal claim against cryptocurrency developers amounts to 900 billion pounds, exceeding $1 trillion, and focuses on Intellectual Property (IP) rights concerning the Bitcoin system.
COPA Prevails: Wright Faces Contempt of Court
Wright filed a lawsuit against Bitcoin Core developers, naming Square Europe Limited, a subsidiary of Jack Dorsey’s Block, as a defendant. His filing in the Chancery Division of the High Court in London included accusations that the defendants altered Bitcoin’s original features through the Taproot upgrade and Segregated Witness (SegWit).
Wright has consistently claimed to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin. The Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) argued that his October suit violated a July ruling from the London court that barred him from pursuing actions related to his claim of being Nakamoto.
Jonathan Hough KC, representing COPA, stated that Wright's legal threats had caused significant distress to developers and bloggers. Judge James Mellor ruled nine months ago that Wright and Satoshi Nakamoto are not the same person. This ruling led to a ban on further legal actions by Wright regarding his claims.
Wright's previous cases have focused on the Bitcoin Whitepaper, libel suits, and claims against developers. In November, a UK court dismissed his assertion that he authored Bitcoin’s Whitepaper, undermining his claim to be Satoshi Nakamoto. Accusations against Wright include lying to the court using forged documents. His defense argues that the judge was biased in earlier rulings.