Craig Wright Fails to Prove He Is Satoshi Nakamoto Following Legal Defeats

In a significant legal development, Craig Wright, an Australian computer scientist who claimed to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the mysterious founder of Bitcoin, was unable to prove his assertions in court. Wright’s legal battles began when he stated he had written the Bitcoin white paper and was, in fact, Nakamoto. These claims led to widespread skepticism and legal challenges, particularly highlighting the formation of the Bitcoin Legal Defense Fund. The Fund described the ensuing litigations as “abusive” and harmful to Bitcoin’s development.
The decisive moment in this saga occurred during a February 2024 trial where the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA), a group of major industry stakeholders, accused Wright of fraud, including document forgery to bolster his claim as Nakamoto. The evidence presented by COPA’s attorneys showcased various forgeries and inconsistencies in Wright’s documents, leading to Judge Mellor’s ruling that Wright was not the author of the Bitcoin white paper nor had he been Nakamoto.
Despite the verdict, Wright expressed intentions to appeal, supported by a group of followers. However, the trial exposed Wright’s evasive tendencies and his use of complex technical jargon, which cast doubt on his claims of being the digital currency’s creator. The judgment emphasizes the importance of credibility and proof in legal disputes over digital assets and is expected to refocus the Bitcoin community’s efforts on new applications and broader acceptance of the cryptocurrency.
Following the trial, the Bitcoin.org website’s maintainer, Hennadii Stepanov, re-uploaded the Bitcoin white paper, marking a return to openness and reinforcing the resilience of information despite attempts at suppression. This move was widely celebrated, highlighting a collective desire to move beyond contentious legal disputes and continue Bitcoin’s development in an open and collaborative manner.