- Craig Wright dodges prison with a suspended sentence.
- UK High Court ruled Wright violated an injunction barring Satoshi Nakamoto claims.
- Wright appeared remotely for his hearing and his exact whereabouts are unknown.
Craig Wright, the man who long claimed to be Bitcoin’s inventor, received a one-year suspended sentence after breaching a UK High Court order.
The court found Wright in contempt after he filed a $1.2 trillion lawsuit against Bitcoin developers, violating an injunction barring him from claiming to be Satoshi Nakamoto or pursuing related legal action.
His conduct was described as “flagrant.”
“There is no doubt whatever that each of these contempts has been proved,” Justice Mellor said during the ruling, adding that Wright had shown “no remorse whatsoever.”
The suspended term means he will only face prison time if he reoffends within two years.
Extradition
Wright’s October lawsuit against Bitcoin Core developers and Square — a $1.2 trillion claim — was deemed a violation of that order.
The suspended term means he would only face prison time if he reoffends within two years.
Appearing remotely for the latest hearing, Wright confirmed he was in Asia but refused to disclose the country.
Some sources believe Wright to be in Singapore or Indonesia. Indonesia has no extradition treaty with the UK, and while Singapore does, civil contempt may not meet the threshold for extradition.
‘Without merit’
Earlier this year, the same court dismissed Wright’s assertion that he is Nakamoto.
“Dr Wright is not the person who adopted or operated under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto,” Mellor ruled in March, citing “overwhelming” evidence against Wright’s claim.
The injunction imposed following that ruling sought to end Wright’s legal crusades tied to his alleged identity.
However, the October filing reignited the Crypto Open Patent Alliance’s allegations of misuse of the courts, culminating in this latest contempt ruling.
Wright’s credibility has eroded further in recent months, with additional accusations of perjury and forgery during his earlier trials.
His efforts to appeal the March judgment were dismissed as “totally without merit,” with one court citing AI-generated inaccuracies in his filings.
Kyle Baird is the DL News Weekend Editor. Got a tip? Email at kbaird@dlnews.com.
