Craig Wright Declared Not Satoshi Nakamoto by UK Court, Bolstering Bitcoin's Origin Story
Summary:
A UK court has ruled that Craig Wright, who spent nearly a decade claiming he was Bitcoin (BTC) founder Satoshi Nakamoto, is not Satoshi. Justice James Mellor's judgment stated Wright consistently lied to the court and engaged in extensive forgery. Many in the mainstream media had given Wright a platform, thereby damaging Bitcoin's reputation. The ruling reaffirms Bitcoin's "immaculate conception" narrative, erasing any lingering doubt. Additionally, it may expose Wright to potential lawsuits from those negatively impacted by his actions. It's time for the Bitcoin community to move on from Craig Wright.
After spending nearly ten years claiming to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the founder of Bitcoin (BTC), Craig Wright has been declared not Satoshi by a UK court this month. This determination was made by Justice James Mellor of the High Court of Justice in England, during a civil case brought forth by the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA). In his verdict, Justice Mellor stated that Wright had flagrantly and repeatedly lied to the court and had engaged in widespread forgery to attempt to verify his claims.
In his comprehensive judgment, Justice Mellor severely criticized Wright, noting that while Wright perceives himself as exceptionally intelligent, his conduct proved otherwise. Throughout the course of both his written and oral evidence, he lied repeatedly to the court, with most of these untruths pertained to documents he’d created to back his claims. All of these false documents supported his ultimate lie that he was Satoshi Nakamoto.
Despite the fact that hardcore Bitcoiners have dismissed Wright's claims since 2015, mainstream media outlets quickly provided the platform he desired to intimidate and tarnish the reputation of individuals, businesses, and Bitcoin itself.
Fortunately, this court ruling reaffirms the origin story of Bitcoin’s “immaculate conception,” erasing any lingering skepticism sowed by Wright and perpetuated by media outlets such as Gizmodo, Wired, BBC, The Economist, The Financial Times, GQ, and others. These outlets overlooked the fundamental evidence - that the cryptographic data can be quickly confirmed.
In 2019, some media still spread Wright's narrative. Wright even tricked Gavin Andresen, the person Satoshi trusted with the Bitcoin source code when he decided to step back. Amid the chaos generated by Wright, Bitcoin developers withdrew Andresen's commit access, a significant development in the Bitcoin industry at that time.
Whereas Satoshi demonstrated patience, discipline, and a reserved demeanor, Wright has consistently displayed arrogance. He often insinuated that he was Satoshi through in-person meetings, forums, and retroactively edited blog posts. Wright, sarcastically known as "Faketoshi" on Bitcoin's online platforms, seized every chance to gain attention. Justice Mellor noted that Wright's attempt to authenticate himself as Satoshi was "a severe misuse of the court procedure."
This ruling is a substantial loss for Wright, though he has announced his intentions to file an appeal. It might also expose Wright to potential lawsuits from those negatively affected by his conduct, including businesses and content creators like Coinbase and Peter McCormack.
Had Wright indeed been Satoshi, he could have sent a message he was Satoshi by signing the message with the Genesis Block private key and a PGP key. Notably, this has never occurred.
It's alarming how one individual can exploit the legal system to peddle unsubstantiated claims, and this case underscores the importance of that concern. Now, finally, the Bitcoin community can leave Craig Wright behind.
This information contained here should not be understood as legal or investment advice. The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not reflect the viewpoints of Cointelegraph.
Published At
5/27/2024 1:54:30 AM
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