A London High Court judge has found Australian computer scientist Craig Wright in contempt of court after breaching an order that barred him from making claims about bitcoin ownership and creation.
Justice James Mellor sentenced Wright to a 12-month prison term, suspended for two years, ruling there was "a clear breach" of the March court order. The contempt finding stems from Wright launching claims worth over £900 billion ($1.1 trillion) in October against companies and individuals regarding bitcoin intellectual property rights.
Wright had previously claimed for eight years to be "Satoshi Nakamoto," the mysterious creator of bitcoin who authored the cryptocurrency's founding white paper in 2008. However, in March 2024, Justice Mellor ruled that Wright was not bitcoin's creator nor the author of its initial software versions.
The latest legal action was brought by the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA), representing technology and cryptocurrency firms. COPA successfully argued that Wright's October claims violated the court's explicit order preventing him from making bitcoin-related assertions.
Wright, who attended Thursday's hearing via video link from either Indonesia or Singapore, has indicated he plans to appeal the contempt ruling. He was notably absent from Wednesday's session when COPA presented its case.
The case highlights ongoing intrigue around bitcoin's origins, which trace back to the 2008 financial crisis when the Nakamoto pseudonym first appeared. The true identity of bitcoin's creator remains unknown, as Nakamoto disappeared from public view three years after introducing the cryptocurrency.
Bitcoin's value has seen dramatic fluctuations recently, reaching $100,000 earlier this month before declining to around $80,000. The cryptocurrency operates independently of traditional banking systems through a decentralized network using blockchain technology.