The UK’s High Court declared Australian computer scientist Craig Wright, who has long claimed to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the inventor of Bitcoin, contempt of court.
Justice James Mellor decided Wright broke a March court ruling prohibiting him from starting or threatening legal actions connected to Bitcoin. Wright was so sentenced twelve months in prison, suspended for two years, and instructed to pay £145,000 in legal fees.
Wright’s October complaint claiming $1.15 trillion in damages from Bitcoin developers and the payments company Square, citing illegal alterations to the Bitcoin system, generated the contempt allegation. This case broke the earlier injunction forbidding such assertions connected to Wright’s claiming to be Nakamoto.
Declaring that Wright “lied to the court extensively and repeatedly,” Justice Mellor denounced his activities and accused him of creating “false documents to support false claims.” The matter has been passed to the Crown Prosecution Service for possible criminal charges including perjury.
Wright, who was supposed to show up personally for the court, vanished claiming significant financial losses and his presence in Asia. His precise location is still unclear, which complicates the application of his suspended sentence in light of restricted extradite agreements.
