Craig Wright, who has repeatedly and falsely claimed to be Bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, was handed a one-year suspended sentence in the United Kingdom for five counts of contempt of court.
The computer scientist was also fined £145,000, approximately $180,000 for his actions.
Wright Breached Court Order
During a December 19 hearing, Judge James Mellor ruled that the Australian national had breached a court order by filing lawsuits against Bitcoin developers.
Despite a prior order to stop all legal actions against the programmers, Wright defied the ruling in October by initiating cases worth more than $1.2 trillion. He also repeated his discredited claim of being Nakamoto.
Jonathan Hough KC, representing the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA), a nonprofit group of cryptocurrency companies, highlighted this defiance, stating that Wright’s actions were intended to inflict “maximum possible distress.”
Hough also told the court that the 54-year-old’s behavior had caused significant harm, describing his legal threats as a form of “terrorism” against developers and bloggers.
He argued that his recent lawsuits were a “desperate publicity stunt” to keep his supporters engaged. The former Charles Sturt University researcher had even accused the judiciary of bias, suggesting he was a victim of the British aristocracy due to using the term “Lord” in prior judgments.
However, Judge Mellor dismissed these allegations and found his contempt proven “beyond reasonable doubt.”
The latest development follows a March ruling in which another UK judge rejected Wright’s claims of being Nakamoto.
His ongoing claims of intellectual property rights related to Bitcoin were previously dismissed by the legal system, which found that he faked evidence to support his assertions.
The court described his tactics as “forgeries on a grand scale” and his explanations as “technobabble.” It also noted that the real Satoshi Nakamoto, who is believed to own one million Bitcoin, is likely a billionaire.
In July, the false Bitcoin creator appeared to acknowledge this outcome by posting a tweet that said he was not the creator of the OG digital asset.
Details From the Court Appearance
According to a report from the Guardian, Wright participated in the hearing via video link from an undisclosed location in Asia, refusing to reveal his whereabouts.
He also declined to attend in person, demanding £240,000 ($300,000) to cover his expenses and lost earnings before complying with the order.
The courtroom was also packed during the hearing, with one onlooker wearing a T-shirt reading: “This is just an elaborate fiction.”
Judge Mellor had previously criticized the Brisbane-born software engineer’s credibility in a high court ruling in May, describing him as “an extremely slippery witness” who had repeatedly lied to the public.
Meanwhile, Wright announced his intention to appeal his sentencing following the judgment.
