Crypto-Patent Troll Who Impersonated Satoshi Nakamoto Almost Lost in Court

A loud and scandalous trial is coming to an end. Almost the entire cryptocurrency community is on one side. His opponent is Craig Wright: a man who pretended to be Satoshi Nakamoto, and based on this, sued large cryptocurrency projects. The trial lasted 3 years, but before that the impostor managed to file many lawsuits, choosing only major players as victims.

Who is Craig Wright?

If you have an interest in cryptocurrencies (for example, if you already download Melbet app Ghana and placed sports bets with crypto), you must know more about that guy.

Craig Wright is an Australian computer scientist and entrepreneur who gained significant attention in the cryptocurrency world by claiming to be Satoshi Nakamoto in 2016. Wright’s assertion of being Nakamoto has been met with skepticism and controversy within the crypto community, as many doubt the validity of his claims due to a lack of conclusive evidence. Despite his claims, Wright has not been able to provide cryptographic proof to substantiate his assertion.

In addition to his controversial claim of being Satoshi Nakamoto, Craig Wright has gained notoriety for his litigious approach towards various cryptocurrency projects. He has filed lawsuits against individuals and projects within the crypto space, alleging copyright infringement and intellectual property violations related to Bitcoin’s whitepaper and code.

These legal actions have stirred debate and criticism, with many viewing them as attempts to assert control over the Bitcoin ecosystem or to profit from legal battles. Wright’s litigious behavior has further fueled skepticism surrounding his claims of being Bitcoin’s creator and has drawn attention to the legal complexities within the cryptocurrency industry.

Some notable lawsuits include:

• Bitcoin Cash: In 2018, Wright filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Bitcoin Cash (BCH) proponents, including Roger Ver, for allegedly violating his intellectual property rights by using the Bitcoin whitepaper without permission.
• Bitcoin.org and Bitcoin Core developers: In 2019, Wright issued legal threats against the maintainers of Bitcoin.org and developers of the Bitcoin Core software, demanding the removal of the Bitcoin whitepaper from their websites. While no formal lawsuit was filed, the incident sparked controversy and discussions about censorship and intellectual property in the cryptocurrency community.
• Binance: In 2021, Wright initiated legal action against Binance, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, alleging defamation and seeking damages over statements made by Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) on Twitter.

COPA vs Wright: Sue Against Impostor

Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) initiated the lawsuit against Wright in 2021 to obtain this ruling, aiming to prevent him from making legal claims against developers and asserting intellectual property rights over Bitcoin’s open-source technology.

U.K. Judge James Mellor has ruled definitively that Craig Wright is not Satoshi Nakamoto, nor the author of the Bitcoin whitepaper, following the conclusion of the COPA trial.

Judge Mellor stated that the evidence presented during the trial was “overwhelming,” confirming that Wright did not create the Bitcoin system or the initial versions of its software. The verdict represents a victory for COPA and the broader open-source community, potentially influencing other pending cases involving Wright’s claims regarding the Bitcoin blockchain.

What Happens if COPA Wins in Court?

If COPA succeeds in the trial, it will mark the first phase of the case, determining whether Craig Wright is indeed Satoshi Nakamoto. Should Wright not appeal the ruling, COPA intends to pursue injunctive relief, seeking to prohibit him from further claiming to be Nakamoto or asserting authorship of the Bitcoin whitepaper. Additionally, COPA aims to prevent Wright from initiating further litigation against developers and individuals based on his disputed identity as Nakamoto. The outcome would also impact other pending cases filed by Wright against prominent crypto firms, as Justice James Mellor has opted to suspend these cases pending the resolution of Wright’s Satoshi identity claim. These cases include allegations of database and file format rights related to the Bitcoin blockchain, as well as claims of passing off against crypto exchanges like Coinbase and Kraken.