Craig Wright, the Australian computer scientist infamous for falsely claiming to be Bitcoin Creator Satoshi Nakamoto was given a one-year suspended prison sentence by a London high court.
The court found Wright in contempt of court for defying an order ending proceedings against Bitcoin developers.according to a Guardian report.
The decision was made after Justice Mellor concluded that Wright, 54, had repeatedly lied about his identity as Nakamoto. Additionally, he engaged in what was described as “large-scale counterfeiting» to support his assertions.
EXPLORE: Best New Cryptocurrencies to Invest in in 2024
Wright continues to file suit against Bitcoin developers
Despite the of the court Having received prior instructions to end legal action against Bitcoin developers, Wright filed new lawsuits in October 2024. He demanded more than £900 billion in damages. The cases targeted developers linked to that of Wright claim to own intellectual property rights related to Bitcoin.
Jonathan Hough KC, representing the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA), said that of Wright the actions were part of a campaign aimed at “terrorize» developers and bloggers, provoking “years of personal hell.”
Thursday, Wright was sentenced on five counts of contempt of court. Mellor sentenced him to 12 months in prison. Additionally, he was suspended for two years and fined £145,000 in court costs within two weeks. The judge also dismissed that of Wright A £900 billion claim is considered unfounded.
The court heard that Wright continued to assert his identity as Nakamoto, even alleging he was the victim of judicial and British aristocracy bias.
He claimed that the appearance of the term “Lord» The judgments handed down against him testify to this bias. The court rejected these arguments and Justice Mellor concluded that of Wright proven outrage “beyond reasonable doubt.”
Craig Wright doesn’t know how to code. He did not create #Bitcoin
He doesn’t seem to know what signed/unsigned integers are.#BSV pic.twitter.com/wzaP4NNLz0
– ᗪIGIᑎᗩᑌT (@digitalnaut) July 20, 2023
Wright appeared via video link from an unknown location in Asia, refusing to reveal his whereabouts. He had previously refused to attend the hearing in person, saying he would only do so if he was paid £240,000 to cover his costs and loss of income.
The courtroom was packed with observers, including one individual wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the phrase, “This is just an elaborate fiction» — a reference to that of Wright controversial claims to be Bitcoin Creator.
EXPLORE: 15 Best Anonymous Bitcoin Wallets Without KYC in 2024
Wright is not Satoshi, according to court rules
In an earlier ruling in May, the judge found that Wright had lied “intensively and repeatedly» under oath. Most of the lies centered around false documents submitted by Wright as supposed proof of his connection to Satoshi Nakamoto.
“Aall his lies and false documents were in favor of his biggest lie: his claim to be Satoshi Nakamoto,» » said Judge Mellor. After the sentencing, Wright announced his intention to appeal the decision.
As indicated, a recent HBO documentary identified Canadian cryptographer and computer scientist Peter Todd as the inventor of Bitcoin. However, Todd has always denied these claims.
EXPLORE: Best Crypto Affiliate Programs in 2024
The post Craig Wright Gets 1-Year Suspended Sentence for Contempt of Court in UK appeared first on 99Bitcoins.
