Craig Wright is in court as he tries to defend his claim that he is Satoshi
The long-awaited trial investigating Australian computer scientist Craig Wright’s claim that he is the pseudonymous author of the 2008 Bitcoin manifesto began in a UK high court on Monday, where a judge permitted Wright to add new proof to support his case.
Wright, who claims to be Satoshi Nakamoto, has legally pursued crypto community members on many occasions, including open-source Bitcoin developers, saying they violated copyrights.
The Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) sued Wright in 2021, contesting his claim as the author of the manifesto named the Bitcoin white paper. It’s not the first time someone has come after Wright, but it might be the biggest challenge he’s faced so far.
COPA denied a proposal from Wright to settle the suit in January, saying it expects that a favorable outcome would mean the end of Wright’s legal battles with the Bitcoin community. COPA alleges in the suit that Wright forged the documents he delivered to prove that he’s Satoshi.
“Wright’s claim to be Satoshi Nakamoto is a brazen lie and elaborate false narratives afforded by forgery on an industrial scale,” said the COPA spokesperson.
While COPA’s emphasis was on revealing forgeries Wright allegedly committed in his actions to prove he is Satoshi, defense lawyers argued that his academic and professional experience made him capable of creating something like Bitcoin.
“COPA has been unable to point to any direct evidence that Dr. Wright is not Satoshi,” said defense counsel, Lord Anthony Grabiner, on Monday. He also asserted that no one else has revealed themselves as Satoshi, which suggests Wright is a credible candidate.
The trial resumes on Tuesday at 10:30 AM local time with Wright’s testimony and cross-examination, which will continue until next week.
