Victory in Court: Hodlonaut Celebrates as Craig Wright Gets Exposed

Craig Wright: A Fraudulent Claim to the Throne of Satoshi Nakamoto

Craig S. Wright is a fraud. This is not just my opinion, but the ruling of Mr Justice Mellor of the U.K. High Court, who declared that the self-declared inventor of Bitcoin is not who he claims to be. Wright, an Australian national, has spent the past five years wasting court time and money in his attempts to sue anyone who challenges his assertions.

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But this Thursday, Wright’s charade comes to an end. After a two-month trial brought by the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA), a consortium of cryptocurrency companies representing the Bitcoin community, Justice Mellor has made it clear that “the evidence is overwhelming” that Wright has been deceiving the public for years.

Wright’s strategy was a “perverted” attempt to manipulate the legal system and commit fraud, according to Hodlonaut, a pseudonymous Bitcoiner who found himself in the crosshairs of Wright’s lawsuits. Hodlonaut, known for his cartoon cat avatar on Twitter, had called out Wright as a fraud and scammer, resulting in a defamation lawsuit.

COPA’s case sought a ruling from the U.K. justice system that Wright is not Satoshi Nakamoto. And they got it. In an unprecedented move, Justice Mellor delivered his verdict from the bench just seconds after the trial ended.

It is possible that Wright will now face criminal proceedings for perjury and other offenses. “This is not the only case Craig has going in the U.K.,” Hodlonaut noted, referencing other lawsuits against himself, podcaster Peter McCormack, and a group of Bitcoin developers.

In addition to this trial, Wright is involved in several other legal proceedings over his claims to the Bitcoin white paper, codebase, database rights, and the infamous “Tulip Trust,” which allegedly holds 110,000 bitcoins. According to Hodlonaut, Wright has been involved in over 50 cases in the U.K. alone. “They have to set an example on this because it’s so extremely blatant,” Hodlonaut stated.

COPA has announced that they will be referring Wright for criminal proceedings, given the overwhelming evidence of his fraudulent behavior. Justice Mellor has stated that he will release a written judgment of the trial, expected to be scathing in its rebuke of Wright’s actions.

Hodlonaut, who appeared in court during Wright’s cross-examination, is eagerly anticipating the judgment. “It hasn’t always been easy, but I’m very happy that I stood my ground,” he said. Hodlonaut feels vindicated by the verdict, but not surprised. “Instead of breaking me, they ended up giving me a chance to prove myself a better person. I’m stronger now than I was five years ago.”

Interestingly, Hodlonaut’s own defamation case against Wright in Norway contributed to COPA’s winning argument in the U.K. trial. The case was mentioned over 41 times in COPA’s closing argument and provided evidence that Wright’s story has changed over the years. This case, which Hodlonaut won, may now be thrown out following the U.K. verdict.

Hodlonaut estimates that he has spent nearly $3 million in legal fees fighting off Wright’s lawsuits in both the U.K. and Norway. These lengthy legal battles have significantly impacted his personal life and job at The Bitcoin Advisor custody and security firm.

But these lawsuits should have never been allowed to take place. The judge in Hodlonaut’s trial acknowledged that “the prevailing opinion… has been, and is, that Wright is unlikely to be Satoshi Nakamoto,” and that Hodlonaut had the right to criticize his claims. In McCormack’s case, the judge noted that Wright had committed “deliberate perjury” and still awarded him minimal damages.

Hodlonaut believes that Wright’s legal campaign was an attempt to set a precedent and establish himself as Satoshi through the legal system, as he lacks any actual proof of his claims. “I mean, the only ‘out’ they gave me was to apologize and admit that he is Satoshi Nakamoto. The problem was that people didn’t fold,” Hodlonaut stated.

Despite Wright having his supporters, including investors in his fork of Bitcoin, known as Bitcoin SV, and billionaire backer Calvin Ayre, it has become increasingly clear to everyone else that Wright is a fraud. Despite his claims to produce “extraordinary proof for an extraordinary claim,” Wright has been unable to provide any evidence that he authored the Bitcoin white paper or holds Satoshi’s private keys. Instead, his lies have only compounded over the years, providing COPA with an abundance of evidence to prove his deception.

Some examples that were revealed during the trial include Wright using OpenOffice to produce the original white paper, while the version he submitted as evidence was created with LaTeX software. He also referenced unpublished articles in a pre-white paper document, claiming it was common practice for researchers. Another document he presented bore all the hallmarks of being created with ChatGPT.

When questioned during cross-examination about these forgeries, Wright responded, “If I had forged that document, then it would be perfect.” This statement perfectly epitomizes Wright’s delusional perspective. Not only is he a chronic liar, but he also believes himself to be superior in every way.

Although it may be amusing to see someone perjure themselves in a court of law, the damage that Wright has caused is immeasurable. Despite this, Hodlonaut stated that he doesn’t hate Wright, but rather finds “some satisfaction in seeing karma” come back around. And with the support of the Bitcoin community, Hodlonaut was able to push through and stay strong.

But if his appeals case is dismissed, Hodlonaut is considering taking offensive action. “There are many people in this space that may have some consequences coming to them,” he said. And after today’s verdict, it’s safe to say that they may not be cheering so loudly for Wright anymore.