Court Restrains Craig Wright From Filing More Defamation Lawsuits

The British High Court has issued a restraining order against computer scientist Craig Wright, preventing him from filing additional defamation lawsuits. This decision comes after years of Wright's disputed claims about being the creator of Bitcoin and his pattern of using the legal system to target critics.

Judge Edward Mellor stated that Wright's actions have created a legal "hell" for individuals and developers within the Bitcoin community. The judge noted that Wright had "weaponized legal systems" to intimidate and silence those who questioned his claims. The court issued a General Civil Restraint Order against Wright, which prohibits him from filing any more civil claims or applications in the High Court. This rare judicial action underscores the severity of Wright's conduct as seen by the court.

Wright's legal campaigns have targeted several members of the cryptocurrency community. The court highlighted that individuals like crypto blogger Peter McCormack and Magnus Granath, known as Hodlonaut, were forced to endure "five years of personal hell" defending themselves against Wright's claims. Judge Mellor emphasized that these cases were "deliberately unequal battles" where Wright had "substantial financial backing from the start of his campaign." The court determined that these lawsuits were part of a calculated strategy to establish Wright’s claim of being Satoshi Nakamoto through intimidation.

The Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) initiated the legal action against Wright in 2021. COPA sought declarations and injunctive relief due to threats Wright had made against its members. COPA is a nonprofit community that works to encourage the adoption of crypto technologies and remove patent barriers to innovation. The court recognized that Wright’s threats had "a serious chilling effect on development and innovation in the cryptocurrency industry." Judge Mellor stated that Wright’s actions affected not only the individuals he sued but also caused disruption to innovation in the blockchain technology space.

This restraining order is the latest in a series of legal setbacks for Wright. In March, the British High Court ruled that Wright was not the author of the Bitcoin white paper and did not operate under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. The court further determined he was not involved in the creation of Bitcoin. Following that ruling, Wright issued a legal disclaimer on his website in July explicitly stating he was not the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin. This marked a major reversal from his years of claims.

Wright’s legal troubles continued when he received a one-year suspended sentence in the United Kingdom for contempt of court in December. This punishment resulted from his conduct during the ongoing litigation. Beyond the cases mentioned in the restraining order, Wright has filed libel lawsuits against other major figures in the cryptocurrency space. These targets included Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin and Bitcoin pioneer Adam Back.

The restraining order represents a turning point in what the judge referred to as the almost decade-long “faketoshi saga.” This term refers to the community’s nickname for Wright, suggesting his claims of being Satoshi were fabricated. The ruling may provide relief to many in the cryptocurrency community who have faced the threat of expensive litigation from Wright. It also sets a precedent regarding the misuse of legal systems to advance disputed claims about blockchain technology origins.

Wright’s legal team has not yet issued a public response to the restraining order. The cryptocurrency community continues to watch for any developments in this long-running dispute about Bitcoin’s mysterious founder.