TLDR
Craig Wright sentenced to 12 months in jail (suspended for 24 months) for contempt of court in UK
The sentence follows a March 2024 ruling that definitively declared Wright is not Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto
Wright filed a new $1.14 trillion lawsuit in October 2024 claiming Bitcoin deviated from “Satoshi’s vision,” leading to contempt charges
Wright did not attend the London hearing, claiming he was in Asia for work
COPA (Crypto Open Patent Alliance) brought the contempt case after Wright violated orders to stop claiming he was Satoshi
Craig Wright’s persistent claims of being Bitcoin’s creator Satoshi Nakamoto have led to a 12-month jail sentence, suspended for two years, following a contempt of court ruling in the United Kingdom on December 19, 2024.
High Court Judge James Mellor issued the suspended sentence after Wright violated previous court orders by continuing to claim he was Bitcoin’s mysterious creator. The sentence comes after a March 2024 ruling that definitively stated Wright was not Satoshi Nakamoto.
The contempt case was brought by the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA), a Jack Dorsey-backed organization, after Wright filed a new lawsuit in October 2024. In this latest legal action, Wright sought $1.14 trillion in damages, claiming Bitcoin had “fundamentally deviated” from what he called Satoshi Nakamoto’s original vision.
Wright’s October lawsuit was quickly dismissed in November, prompting COPA to pursue contempt charges. The organization argued that by filing a copyright suit regarding Bitcoin, Wright had once again violated the court’s explicit order not to claim he was Nakamoto.
The Australian computer scientist did not appear in person for the London hearing. Instead, he joined via video conference, stating he was in Asia “for work purposes” and that attending in person would cause financial hardship. COPA had offered to fly him to the hearing in economy class.
During the proceedings, Judge Mellor emphasized that the suspended sentence was specifically designed to prevent Wright from further violating the court’s orders. If Wright breaches these conditions during the two-year suspension period, he will face immediate imprisonment.
The case stems from Wright’s earlier £900 billion intellectual property claim, in which he demanded copyright ownership of the Bitcoin whitepaper and key code databases. This claim was thoroughly rejected by the court in March 2024.
Throughout the legal proceedings, several prominent figures in the Bitcoin community testified against Wright’s claims. Among them was Adam Back, the designer of the proof-of-work consensus model used in Bitcoin.
In July 2024, the court had ordered Wright to publicly declare that he was not Satoshi Nakamoto or the author of the Bitcoin whitepaper. This order covered his website, Twitter account, and all Slack channels.
COPA’s legal counsel, Tristan Sherliker from Bird & Bird, noted the unusual nature of Wright’s actions. “It’s rare for someone, having been ordered not to file legal proceedings, to do exactly that in the same court that issued the prohibition,” Sherliker stated.
The court documents filed Thursday detail Judge Mellor’s reasoning, explaining that Wright’s October lawsuit essentially reasserted his claim to be Nakamoto, which directly violated previous court orders.
When asked for comment on the ruling, Wright’s attorneys did not respond to media requests. However, Wright has indicated through the virtual meeting app that he plans to appeal the court’s verdict.
COPA’s legal team suggests this ruling marks a definitive end to Wright’s claims of being Bitcoin’s creator. Sherliker stated, “The whole world can see after that he was not Satoshi.”
The suspended sentence means Wright must comply with all court orders and cease claiming to be Satoshi Nakamoto for the next two years to avoid serving jail time. The judge’s ruling specifically prohibits him from pursuing any further court proceedings based on claims of being Bitcoin’s creator or owning related intellectual property.
According to court records, Wright remained uncooperative during the sentencing process, refusing to disclose his physical location. His participation was limited to virtual appearances, and he maintained his stance despite the mounting legal consequences.
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