Computer scientist who falsely claimed to be Bitcoin founder avoids jail in UK

Dr Craig Wright told the court he was in Asia but refused to specify which country

Dr Craig Wright arrives at the Rolls Building in London for the trial earlier this year (Lucy North/PA) (PA Archive)

A computer scientist who falsely claimed to be the founder of Bitcoin, has been sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years, for contempt of court after breaching a High Court order.

Dr Craig Wright lost a legal battle against Crypto Open Patent Alliance (Copa), a non-profit group including cryptocurrency firms, earlier this year over claims that he was Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonym attributed to the person widely credited with establishing the cryptocurrency.

In March, a judge found that he had “lied extensively” to support the false claim and barred him from launching or threatening further legal action related to Bitcoin through a court order.

On Wednesday, lawyers for Copa told a hearing that Dr Wright issued a claim worth more than £900 billion related to Bitcoin in October which constituted contempt of court, and that he should be jailed as a result.

In a judgment on Thursday, Mr Justice Mellor said Dr Wright had committed “a clear breach of the order” and was therefore in contempt of court “beyond any reasonable doubt”.

He said the breach of the order was “flagrant” and that Dr Wright “has expressed no remorse whatsoever”.

Dr Wright attended court on Thursday via a video link, having not attended a hearing on Wednesday.

He told the court he was in Asia but refused to specify which country after being asked by the judge.

He said “I still don’t believe that the areas that you have addressed are correct”, and that he “will be appealing” the contempt finding, stating: “Copa are an organisation with one purpose – to sue me.”