craig wright, computer scientist Adjudged to have lied “widespread and repeatedly” A UK judge has sentenced the inventor of Bitcoin to a year in prison after finding him guilty of contempt of court. The sentence has been suspended for two years, meaning Wright will only face jail if he re-offends during that period.
At a hearing Thursday at the UK High Court, Justice James Edward Mellor Government That right one in bringing $1.15 trillion lawsuit had a breach against Bitcoin developers and payments firm Square in October prior court orderAccording to the order, Wright should refrain from making such claims publicly. Satoshi NakamotoAmong other things, the creator of Bitcoin, and taking legal action on that basis.
Representatives for Craig Wright did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In the hearing, he is informed He said he would appeal the contempt decision.
The issue of contempt of court was raised by the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA), a non-profit association of crypto companies, which in February Wright taken to trial In hopes of making a formal announcement to confirm that he is not Satoshi. Its purpose was to prevent Wright from advancing many different lawsuits Against Bitcoin developers and other parties, through which he was trying to claim intellectual property rights on Bitcoin and prevent any future legal action.
On March 14, the last day of the six-week trial, Mellor delivered a rare quick decision: “The evidence is overwhelming,” he said in the courtroom. “Dr. Wright is not the person who adopted or operated under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto.”
“It is clear that Dr. Wright engaged in the deliberate preparation of false documents to support false claims and to use them as a means to defraud the courts,” Mellor wrote in his article. cataclysm“I am completely satisfied that Dr. Wright lied extensively and repeatedly to the court. All of his lies and forged documents were in support of his biggest lie: his claim to be Satoshi Nakamoto.
At a hearing in July, in addition to imposing various injunctions on Wright, Mellor directed the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the body responsible for prosecuting criminal cases in the UK, to bring criminal charges against Wright for “wholesale perjury”. Consider it. ” (CPS has not yet charged Wright with perjury.)