Craig Wright, an Australian computer scientist who has falsely claimed to be Bitcoin’s creator —Satoshi Nakamoto— was sentenced in the United Kingdom to a one-year suspended sentence for five counts of contempt of court.
In addition, Wright was fined £145,000, approximately $180,000 for his actions.
Violations of Court Orders
During a hearing on December 19, Judge James Mellor ruled that Wright had violated a previous court order prohibiting him from filing lawsuits against Bitcoin developers. Despite this order, Wright initiated lawsuits in October totaling over $1.2 trillion.
These actions and his repeated and discredited claim of being Nakamoto led to his contempt charges. Jonathan Hough KC, representing the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA), described Wright’s behavior as intentionally distressing to the developers and bloggers targeted by his lawsuits.
Hough classified Wright’s legal actions as a form of harassment and argued they served as a publicity tactic to maintain support among his followers.
Court’s Decision on Craig Wright’s Behavior
Judge Mellor dismissed Wright’s accusations of judicial bias, including claims that the British aristocracy influenced prior judgments due to the use of titles such as “Lord.” The court found Wright’s contempt proven “beyond reasonable doubt.”
This case follows a March ruling in which another UK judge rejected Craig Wright’s claims of being Bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator. Previous legal proceedings also concluded that Wright had fabricated evidence to support his assertions, describing his actions as “forgeries on a grand scale” and his arguments as “technobabble.”
Despite his ongoing claims, Wright appeared to concede the matter in July, posting a tweet that denied being the creator of Bitcoin.
Wright attended the recent hearing via video link from an undisclosed location in Asia, refusing to disclose his whereabouts. Judge Mellor, who had previously described Wright as “an extremely slippery witness,” criticized his credibility during the hearing.
The courtroom was filled to the brim with public interest. One attendee wore a T-shirt reading, “This is just an elaborate fiction.”
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Craig Wright declined to appear in person unless paid £240,000 (approximately $300,000) to cover expenses and lost earnings.
But it’s not over for Wright —he intends to appeal his sentence, so the legal battle might last some time.