UK judge announced on Tuesday that he will ask prosecutors to consider perjury and forgery charges against Craig Wright, an Australian computer scientist who falsely claimed to be “Satoshi Nakamoto,” the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin. This follows a comprehensive ruling in March by Judge James Mellor of the High Court in London, which debunked Wright’s assertions. The Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA), a non-profit organization dedicated to keeping cryptocurrency technology free from patents, had sued Wright, leading to a five-week trial.
Judge Mellor’s latest ruling highlights that Wright’s persistent false claims and related legal actions constitute a “most serious abuse” of the judicial process in the UK, Norway, and the U.S. Mellor will now refer the case to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to consider whether criminal charges should be filed against Wright, emphasizing the gravity of his actions. The CPS, responsible for making decisions on criminal charges in England and Wales, has yet to comment but acknowledged the judge’s remarks and may instruct the police to conduct further investigations if necessary.
In addition to referring the case to the CPS, Judge Mellor issued two injunctions against Wright to prevent him from initiating similar legal actions. He also mandated that Wright publicize the court’s ruling against him to dispel any lingering uncertainty about his claims. Wright must display a notice on the homepage of his website for six months, and post the same notice on his profile on X (formerly Twitter) and his Slack channels for three months.
