Craig Wright's Bitcoin Claim Leads to Perjury Charges

An Australian computer scientist, Craig Wright, who claimed to have created bitcoin, has been referred to British prosecutors for alleged perjury. Judge James Mellor ruled that Wright lied extensively to support his false claim, recommending his prosecution for perjury during the trial initiated by the Crypto Open Patent Alliance.

Craig Wright, an Australian computer scientist who asserted he invented bitcoin, was referred to British prosecutors for alleged perjury by a judge at London's High Court on Tuesday. The judge found Wright had lied 'extensively and repeatedly' to bolster his false claim.

Wright had long maintained that he authored the foundational 2008 bitcoin white paper under the pseudonym 'Satoshi Nakamoto'. However, Judge James Mellor's March ruling determined that the evidence overwhelmingly proved Wright was not the elusive Nakamoto. The trial was brought forward by the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) to prevent Wright from suing bitcoin developers.

In a written ruling, Judge Mellor referred the case to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to consider charging Wright with perjury for providing false testimony during the trial. Mellor emphasized the severity of Wright's conduct, noting that if this case did not merit CPS referral, it was hard to imagine one that would.

'I have no doubt that I should refer the relevant papers in this case to the CPS for consideration of whether a prosecution should be commenced against Dr. Wright for his wholesale perjury and forgery of documents and/or whether a warrant for his arrest should be issued and/or whether his extradition should be sought from wherever he now is,' the judge stated.

(With inputs from agencies.)