On May 12, 2025, the UK High Court issued a General Civil Restraint Order against Craig Wright.
The order stops him from filing new civil claims or defamation lawsuits in the High Court without permission.
Judge Edward Mellor ruled that Wright’s actions created legal “hell” for members of the Bitcoin community.
Craig Wright Defamation Ruling. Source: High Court of Justice UK
Wright repeatedly claimed to be Bitcoin’s creator, Satoshi Nakamoto. However, the judge said Wright made these claims with no valid proof.
Mellor added that Wright used legal pressure to silence critics and disrupt the cryptocurrency space.
The judge noted that Wright had strong financial backing, which allowed him to force others into long and expensive legal fights.
The court’s order blocks Wright from continuing what it described as a pattern of misusing the legal system to push false Bitcoin claims.
Craig Wright Lawsuits Targeted Bitcoin Developers and Advocates
The Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) filed the case in 2021. The group said Wright’s threats and lawsuits hurt open-source developers and others in the crypto space.
COPA is a nonprofit focused on removing legal threats that block crypto development.
Wright’s lawsuits involved key industry figures. These included Peter McCormack and Magnus Granath, known as Hodlonaut. Both men were sued for defamation after denying Wright’s claims to be Satoshi Nakamoto.
Judge Mellor wrote that these lawsuits lasted five years and included false evidence.
“His defamation claims put each man through five years of personal hell,” he said in the judgment. The court found the lawsuits were part of a plan to win by outspending opponents.
Mellor added that the impact went beyond the people Wright sued. He said Wright’s actions disrupted Bitcoin development and made other crypto contributors afraid to speak publicly.
Court Rejected Craig Wright’s Bitcoin Claims Before This Ruling
In March 2024, the British High Court ruled that Craig Wright was not Satoshi Nakamoto. The court said Wright did not write the Bitcoin white paper or help launch Bitcoin. That ruling was based on documents, witness testimony, and expert analysis.
Later in July 2024, Wright posted a disclaimer on his website. He wrote that he was not Bitcoin’s creator. However, he continued to file lawsuits afterward.
In December 2024, Wright received a suspended sentence for contempt of court. This followed his failure to follow court orders in earlier legal disputes.
Wright also filed libel lawsuits against Vitalik Buterin and Adam Back. These lawsuits were part of what the court described as a nearly ten-year effort to claim ownership of Bitcoin’s origins through legal means.
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