Craig Wright, Who Claimed to Be Bitcoin Creator, Sentenced to Prison for Contempt of Court

The contempt ruling stemmed from Wright filing a £911 billion lawsuit against Bitcoin Core developers and Square Up Europe Limited, which was in direct violation of a March 2024 court injunction.

Australian computer scientist Craig Wright, who claimed to be the creator of bitcoin, has been sentenced to one year in prison, suspended for two years, after being found in contempt of court.

The contempt ruling stemmed from a lawsuit filed by Wright, targeting 26 defendants, including Bitcoin Core developers and Square Up Europe Limited. The defendants were later reported to have grown to over 100 companies globally.

The lawsuit was filed despite a March 2024 court injunction prohibiting Wright from asserting legal claims based on his claimed identity as Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of bitcoin. This injunction was issued following a March 2024 ruling by the UK High Court, where Mr Justice Mellor found “overwhelming evidence” that Wright is not Satoshi Nakamoto.

The court concluded that Wright had lied extensively and forged documents to support his claims, preventing him from pursuing further legal claims tied to his alleged identity as Satoshi Nakもと.

The Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA), represented by Jonathan Hough KC of Bird & Bird LLP, initiated the contempt proceedings against Wright. Backed by industry leaders like Coinbase, Kraken, and MicroStrategy, COPA aims to protect open-source technologies and prevent restrictive patent practices.

In the judgment, Judge Mellor sharply criticized Wright's conduct, stating that he had “extensively and repeatedly” lied and forged documents “on a grand scale.” The judge emphasized that Wright's actions were a misuse of the court system, intended to deceive and manipulate legal proceedings to his advantage.

“I have found, to the requisite criminal standard of proof, that Dr. Wright committed each of the contempts alleged by COPA in their Grounds 1 to 5 inclusive. Indeed, in my judgment, there is no doubt whatever that each of these contempts has been proved,” Mellor concluded.

Hough argued that Wright’s actions were premeditated and vexatious, accusing him of relitigating settled matters and weaponizing the court system to silence critics. He described Wright's efforts as a “desperate publicity stunt” to keep his “cultish supporters engaged.”

Judge Mellor highlighted Wright’s lack of remorse and the deliberate nature of his actions.

The court concluded that Wright’s contempt was of such gravity that only a custodial sentence would suffice. Wright was also ordered to pay £144,000 in legal costs within 14 days.