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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →On 20 May 2024, the High Court of England and Wales ruled that Craig Steven Wright was not Satoshi Nakamoto, did not create Bitcoin, and did not write its original software. The judgment in COPA v Wright also found that Wright had lied extensively and relied on forged documents. Those are findings in a civil case, not a criminal conviction.
What the judge decided
Mr Justice Mellor issued the main judgment in the case brought by the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA). The court had to decide whether Wright was the person behind the Satoshi Nakamoto name and whether he created Bitcoin. It concluded that he was not Satoshi, did not create the Bitcoin system, and was not the author of the initial Bitcoin software.
The ruling is set out in the High Court’s 20 May 2024 judgment, COPA v Wright, [2024] EWHC 1198 (Ch).
Why the judge rejected Wright’s claim
The judgment did not rest simply on the judge’s opinion of Wright. It assessed the evidence and documents presented in support of his claim. Mellor found that Wright had lied extensively and repeatedly and that forged documents featured in the evidence. In the judge’s words: “I am entirely satisfied that Dr Wright lied to the Court extensively and repeatedly.”
Mellor also wrote that “he is not nearly as clever as he thinks he is.” That line is the judge’s assessment in the judgment; the central legal conclusion is the court’s finding that Wright was not Satoshi Nakamoto.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How the later contempt case differs
The identity ruling and the later contempt proceedings are separate stages. The May 2024 judgment resolved the question of whether Wright was Satoshi. In December 2024, the court issued a later judgment and order concerning conduct it found breached its earlier order.
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The 19 December 2024 contempt judgment, COPA v Wright and others, [2024] EWHC 3315 (Ch), addresses that later proceeding. A separate order dated 20 December 2024 records that Arnold LJ dismissed Wright’s application for permission to appeal as totally without merit on 29 November 2024. That procedural outcome should not be confused with the original identity finding.
The available court records establish those events through December 2024; they do not establish whether later proceedings changed the procedural position.
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