Bitcoin Creator Faces Prison After Filing $1.1 Trillion Lawsuit
Craig Wright, known for claiming to be the inventor of Bitcoin, received a one-year suspended prison sentence for contempt of court in the UK. The suspended sentence will only be enforced if he continues to violate court orders. Wright, who filed a $1.1 trillion lawsuit against Twitter founder Jack Dorsey’s payment company Block, failed to attend a court hearing this week and claimed to be in Asia to avoid imprisonment.
Justice James Mellor of England’s High Court of Justice ruled earlier this year that Wright is not the creator of Bitcoin and referred him to prosecutors for perjury and forgery charges. Wright continued to pursue legal cases asserting intellectual property rights to Bitcoin, leading to the contempt of court ruling this week.
Despite the court ordering him to attend a hearing in person, Wright skipped the scheduled contempt hearing, claiming excessive costs as the reason for not appearing. Mellor found Wright’s excuses unconvincing and proceeded with the sentencing. Wright appeared via video connection, revealing his location as Asia without specifying further.
In his judgment, Mellor highlighted that Wright named a non-existent defendant “BTC Core” in his lawsuit and included numerous corporate entities and individuals as partners of this entity. This move violated previous injunctions issued against Wright, leading to the suspended prison sentence. As Wright continues to evade UK authorities, an international arrest warrant may be necessary if they wish to detain him.
