forbes.com
Craig Wright, discredited in the UK High Court’s ruling against his claim to be Satoshi Nakamoto, has launched another legal action. Once again, he is targeting the Bitcoin
In a decisive legal battle earlier this year, Justice Mellor of the COPA v Wright trial clarified beyond doubt Craig Wright's claims. He ruled that the evidence against Wright was 'overwhelming,' conclusively stating that Wright is not the author of the Bitcoin White Paper, and is not Satoshi Nakamoto. This case was possibly the worst case of fraud the UK courts have seen.
This definitive judgment hangs over Wright's new legal challenge against the Bitcoin Core developers, where he continues to claim the original bitcoin protocol.
The claim filed in the High Court of Chancery Division in London estimates the damages at a staggering £911,050,000,000. The claim bases its figure on the market valuation difference between bitcoin and Bitcoin SV, the latter of which Wright supports as the true representation of bitcoin's original vision by Satoshi Nakamoto.
Hodlonaut, who has previously won a defamation case against Wright in Norway, criticized Wright’s latest legal action. In a statement made to Forbes, he said, "When no reputable law firm is willing to keep representing his torrent of lies and forgeries, it is very much in character for Mr. Wright to start using ChatGPT to represent him in ever more delusional legal antics. It will end badly for Mr. Wright, of course.”
In response to Wright's continuous legal actions, COPA has issued a statement to Forbes, indicating their awareness of Wright's recent claim. They expressed confidence that this latest legal attempt would be as unsuccessful as his previous endeavors. "Despite the UK High Court’s devastating demolition of Craig Wright’s fake claims to be Satoshi Nakamoto earlier this year, COPA is aware that Craig Wright has recently issued yet another claim in which he pretends to own IP rights relating to bitcoin," the statement read. COPA believes it is too early to comment on the details but remains confident about the outcome.
Despite the decisive nature of the COPA Vs Wright ruling earlier in the year, Wright’s new claim seems to follow a similar trajectory, alleging that the modifications such as SegWit and Taproot by Bitcoin Core developers deviate from Satoshi's original vision. These features, according to Wright, mislead the public into believing that BTC retains the attributes of the original bitcoin, thus causing reputational damage and market value loss to BSV.
In Satoshi's final known communication with the bitcoin community, he stated, 'I've moved on to other things. It's in good hands with Gavin and everyone.' This statement demonstrates his intention to step away from the project and entrust its future to trusted collaborators. This moment marked a transition in the stewardship of bitcoin, reinforcing the decentralized ethos at its core.
By explicitly acknowledging that the project was in good hands, Satoshi effectively endorsed the collective governance model that has continued to shape bitcoin's development long after his departure. This handover affirms the intended resilience of bitcoin, designed to operate and evolve without its original creator, relying instead on the contributions of its global user base.
All code changes in bitcoin are accepted through a decentralized process, requiring consensus from contributors and the community to ensure they align with bitcoin's core principles. Adding another level of absurdity to Wright's claim that he holds ownership over bitcoin's intellectual property.
The persistence of Wright in claiming intellectual property rights over bitcoin has been a point of contention and confusion. His claims have consistently been met with skepticism and criticism, largely due to the absence of credible evidence and the submission of numerous fraudulent documents in their place.
The impact of these legal challenges extends beyond just Wright and the defendants; it poses questions about the governance of open-source projects and the nature of bitcoin’s decentralization. As Wright continues his battle for recognition and control, the decentralized nature of bitcoin remains its greatest strength—one that no single individual can claim to own or rewrite, no matter how many legal challenges they bring.