- The UK High Court ruled that Craig Wright is not Satoshi Nakamoto.
- Concerns grow that Wright is attempting to evade justice.
- The High Court counters by ordering an asset freeze.
On March 14, the UK High Court sided with the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA), determining that self-proclaimed Bitcoin creator Craig Wright is not Satoshi Nakamoto. While Judge Mellor has yet to file his final written judgment, his ruling ended Wright’s near decade-long incessant bullying and harassment of those who questioned his Nakamoto origin story.
However, in a further twist in the case, Judge Mellor granted an order on March 27 to freeze Wright’s assets worldwide. The dramatic move came in response to alleged attempts by Wright to evade court costs stemming from his resounding defeat.
Craig Wright Attempts to Hide Assets
March 27’s court filing revealed Wright had taken suspicious actions just days after his courtroom defeat. On March 18, Wright filed a notice with Companies House informing the agency that he had transferred shares of his company, RCJBR Holding plc, to a Singapore-registered firm called DeMorgan PTE. This raised red flags for COPA, as Wright attempted to move assets offshore to avoid paying legal costs.
Sponsored
COPA emphasized Wright’s extensive history of dishonest behavior to bolster its claims of a legitimate risk of asset dissipation. They cited his forging of documents, lying under oath, boasting of being “judgment proof,” and defaulting on other major judgment debts, including the $140 million Kleiman v. Wright case in the US. This pattern, COPA argued, showed Wright’s tendency to engage in evasive financial maneuvering.
Judge Mellor agreed with COPA’s arguments and ordered the £6 million worldwide asset freeze. The ruling mandates that by April 12, Wright must disclose all his assets and interests. The freeze amount is intended to cover COPA’s substantial legal costs in challenging Wright’s claims of being Satoshi Nakamoto. But there are doubts that Wright has the means to pay.
Can Wright Pay?
The court filing showed that COPA doubted Wright’s ability to pay the legal costs following his defeat. COPA suspected that BSV Association co-founder Calvin Ayre and blockchain development company nChain were funding Wright’s litigations, a claim the Australian computer scientist denied.
Sponsored
Yet shortly after the March 14 ruling, in which Judge Mellor sided with COPA, Ayre announced that he was “off on an adventure” planned since 2023. He said his X account would be handed over to a team promoting his interests.
On the Flipside
- COPA also seeks to bring criminal proceedings against Wright.
- Speculation mounts on whether the BSV Association will comply with the High Court and freeze Wright‘s assets.
Why This Matters
Wright’s claims of being Satoshi Nakamoto have endured for almost a decade. Now, his credibility lies in tatters. The asset freeze ordered by the UK High Court demonstrates a willingness to ensure justice prevails.
Calls grow for a class action lawsuit against Craig Wright. Read more here:
Craig Wright’s Troubles Stack as New Lawsuit Gathers Steam
Dogecoin’s recent price surge has some speculations about the arrival of altseason. Read more here:
