https://www.ft.com/content/f3bb0b62-2d8a-44e8-a5aa-13a8f154ec0e

Accessibility helpSkip to navigationSkip to contentSkip to footer

  * Sign In
  * Subscribe

Open side navigation menuOpen search bar
 
SubscribeSign In
Search the FT[                    ]SearchClose search bar
  * Home
  * World
    Sections
      + World Home
      + Israel-Hamas war
      + Global Economy
      + UK
      + US
      + China
      + Africa
      + Asia Pacific
      + Emerging Markets
      + Europe
      + War in Ukraine
      + Americas
      + Middle East & North Africa
    Most Read
      + Biden indicates shift in Ukraine's deployment of Storm Shadow
        missiles
      + Tories pay PS2,000 to cling on to ministerial red boxes
      + Trump re-election bid being derailed by far-right
        influencers, allies fear
      + US economy is heading for soft landing, FT survey says
      + 'It's ugly': Trump's Haitian pet-eating claim fractures Ohio
        city
  * US
    Sections
      + US Home
      + US Economy
      + Investing in America
      + US Companies
      + US Politics & Policy
      + US Presidential Election 2024
    Most Read
      + Biden indicates shift in Ukraine's deployment of Storm Shadow
        missiles
      + Trump re-election bid being derailed by far-right
        influencers, allies fear
      + US economy is heading for soft landing, FT survey says
      + 'It's ugly': Trump's Haitian pet-eating claim fractures Ohio
        city
      + Investors pile into Coca-Cola and Colgate as recession fears
        grow
  * Companies
    Sections
      + Companies Home
      + Energy
      + Financials
      + Health
      + Industrials
      + Media
      + Professional Services
      + Retail & Consumer
      + Tech Sector
      + Telecoms
      + Transport
    Most Read
      + Axel Springer and KKR near deal on EUR13.5bn break-up
      + Deloitte's revenue growth is weakest in 14 years as demand
        slows
      + Negative European energy prices hit record level
      + The Murdoch succession saga reaches its 'end game'
      + Basel III: The US has started a race to the bottom
  * Tech
    Sections
      + Tech Home
      + Artificial intelligence
      + Semiconductors
      + Cyber Security
      + Social Media
    Most Read
      + OpenAI acknowledges new models increase risk of misuse to
        create bioweapons
      + Abu Dhabi's Mubadala takes stake in Revolut
      + Musk blasts Australia as 'fascists' over social media law
      + OpenAI launches AI models it says are capable of reasoning
      + $200bn man: Ellison's wealth rebounds as Oracle joins AI boom
  * Markets
    Sections
      + Markets Home
      + Alphaville
      + Markets Data
      + Crypto
      + Capital Markets
      + Commodities
      + Currencies
      + Equities
      + Wealth Management
      + Moral Money
      + ETF Hub
      + Fund Management
      + Trading
    Most Read
      + Basel III: The US has started a race to the bottom
      + China out in the cold for foreign investors
      + Investors pile into Coca-Cola and Colgate as recession fears
        grow
      + North Sea output to halve by 2030 under Labour tax proposals,
        warns report
      + Abu Dhabi's Mubadala takes stake in Revolut
  * Climate
  * Opinion
    Sections
      + Opinion Home
      + Columnists
      + The FT View
      + The Big Read
      + Lex
      + Obituaries
      + Letters
    Most Read
      + A president can't win or lose the culture war
      + No, seriously: don't f*** with cats
      + Ireland may no longer be able to ride two horses
      + Basel III: The US has started a race to the bottom
      + John Lee: 25 years of stockpicking successes . . .  and a few
        failures
  * Lex
  * Work & Careers
    Sections
      + Work & Careers Home
      + Business School Rankings
      + Business Education
      + Europe's Start-Up Hubs
      + Entrepreneurship
      + Recruitment
      + Business Books
      + Business Travel
      + Working It
    Most Read
      + 'This is not about rooting out a few bad apples': how
        bullying became a big issue in film and TV
      + Addison Lee drivers prepare to strike over pay and conditions
      + Law firms forge new career paths in bid to tackle social
        mobility
  * Life & Arts
    Sections
      + Life & Arts Home
      + Arts
      + Books
      + Food & Drink
      + FT Magazine
      + House & Home
      + Style
      + Travel
      + FT Globetrotter
    Most Read
      + The six types of people you meet at Lunch with the FT
      + A president can't win or lose the culture war
      + No, seriously: don't f*** with cats
      + Clubonomics: could a nearby members' club influence your
        property's prospects?
      + Michel Houellebecq: 'People who have humanitarian ideas are a
        catastrophe'
  * HTSI

MenuSearch

  * Home
  * World
  * US
  * Companies
  * Tech
  * Markets
  * Climate
  * Opinion
  * Lex
  * Work & Careers
  * Life & Arts
  * HTSI

Financial Times
SubscribeSign In
Search the FT[                    ]SearchClose search bar
Special Report Innovative Lawyers: Europe
Show articles

  *  
    Currently reading:
    Craig Wright said he invented bitcoin -- lawyers proved him wrong
  *  
    Lawyers turn to AI to expand pro bono work
  *  
    Ukraine's law firms pave the way to EU alignment
  *  
    Technology takes class-action lawsuits out of the slow lane
  *  
    Climate lawsuits harness human rights to press for more action
  *  
    How Gabon's debt-for-nature swap survived a palace coup
  *  
    Practitioners: appliance of science adds winning edge to practice

 
See all 34 stories
Bitcoin
Add to myFT
[ ]Get instant alerts for this topic

Manage your delivery channels hereRemove from myFT

Craig Wright said he invented bitcoin -- lawyers proved him wrong

Copyright law was key to disputing fraudster's claim to be
cryptocurrency's founder Satoshi Nakamoto
a man wearing a bright red shirt sitting in a chair in a modern
office, his arms gesturing during a conversationCraig Wright: lawyers
showed he forged evidence over intellectual property rights (c) David
Parry/FT

  *  
    Craig Wright said he invented bitcoin -- lawyers proved him wrong
    on x (opens in a new window)
  *  
    Craig Wright said he invented bitcoin -- lawyers proved him wrong
    on facebook (opens in a new window)
  *  
    Craig Wright said he invented bitcoin -- lawyers proved him wrong
    on linkedin (opens in a new window)
  *  
    Craig Wright said he invented bitcoin -- lawyers proved him wrong
    on whatsapp (opens in a new window)
  * 
    Save

  *  
    Craig Wright said he invented bitcoin -- lawyers proved him wrong
    on x (opens in a new window)
  *  
    Craig Wright said he invented bitcoin -- lawyers proved him wrong
    on facebook (opens in a new window)
  *  
    Craig Wright said he invented bitcoin -- lawyers proved him wrong
    on linkedin (opens in a new window)
  *  
    Craig Wright said he invented bitcoin -- lawyers proved him wrong
    on whatsapp (opens in a new window)
  * 
    Save

Nikou Asgari

September 13 2024
Jump to comments sectionPrint this page
Unlock the Editor's Digest for free

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this
weekly newsletter.

The identity of Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of
bitcoin, remains the biggest mystery in the global crypto industry.

Countless articles and podcasts have been dedicated to finding the
person, or people, who launched bitcoin, which is now the bedrock of
a whole new asset class and billions of dollars' worth of
investments.

For some years, Australian computer scientist Craig Wright claimed to
be Satoshi, based on his alleged evidence of a tech background,
related meetings, and pages of documents.

But a UK court earlier this year put an end to the frenzied
speculation -- ruling that Wright is not the developer of bitcoin and
saying that he had been extensively and openly lying. As a result,
the true identity of Satoshi remains a mystery.

The challenge against Wright was made by the Crypto Open Patent
Alliance (Copa), an industry group that is backed by companies
including exchanges Coinbase and Kraken, software company
Microstrategy, and Sam Altman's cryptocurrency project Worldcoin.
They sought to end Wright's assertion to be Satoshi, a claim he has
used to back claims for billions of dollars in damages against
bitcoin developers for alleged thefts.

The curious case centred on the issue of intellectual property rights
and proving that Wright did not have legitimate authorship claims
over Satoshi's bitcoin white paper, crypto's important founding text.
This was published in 2008, and describes a peer-to-peer payments
system that stands apart from traditional financial institutions,
relying instead on blockchain technology.

"It was an unusual beginning," says Phil Sherrell, partner and head
of the London office at law firm Bird & Bird, which represented Copa
in the case. Wright was represented by Shoosmiths. Instead of being
a fraud trial, the focus was on showing that Wright did not have any
rights over Satoshi's bitcoin white paper and that he was not
Satoshi.

"Ultimately, it always seemed likely to lead to a 'Is he Satoshi?'
trial -- the copyright ownership issue was the vehicle to get there,"
explains Sherrell.

Recommended

Craig Wright
Edited highlights from the evisceration of Craig Wright
 
[https]

The case was brought after Wright began, in late 2020, emailing
crypto developers and businesses that hosted the bitcoin white paper
on their websites, asking them to take it down, recounts Sherrell.
Crypto developers and executives "became concerned about where that
might lead, and whether this was the start of a campaign in relation
to other Satoshi IP rights", he adds.

To prove that Wright was not Satoshi, Sherrell's team began
collecting evidence that would show he was lying. "It ultimately
almost played out like a fraud trial -- the whole focus of the
litigation was to undermine the documents and information Wright
relied on to try to prove he was Satoshi," Sherrell says.

In one instance, the lawyers set about trying to disprove the
legitimacy of handwritten notes. Some of the Brisbane-born computer
scientist's evidence relied on handwritten notes that he claimed had
been written in the early 2000s, scribbles of ideas about bitcoin
before the white paper was published.

Sherrell's team tracked down the printer of the notepad in China,
proving that the exact version of that notebook had not been released
until years after Wright's claims.

In another example, the lawyers picked apart Wright's claims that
some of his computer documents had been typed before 2008, using
evidence from font designers. The witnesses testified that some fonts
"hadn't even been created until years after the alleged date of the
document", according to Sherrell. 

In the judgment handed down by the UK High Court in May, the
presiding judge, Justice Mellor, said Wright "was not able to put
forward any coherent explanation for the forgeries, which had been
exposed, and yet he could not bring himself to accept that he was
responsible for them".

"Dr Wright lied to the court extensively and repeatedly," the
judgment concluded. "Most of his lies related to the documents he had
forged . . . As soon as one lie was exposed, Dr Wright resorted to
further lies and evasions."

Sherrell says: "It became clear that everything that Wright said was
based on things you could already find in the public domain about
Satoshi's life."

A legal notice on Wright's website now states that he is not Satoshi
and that he has been ordered not to carry out any more legal
proceedings based on these false claims.

"It's a victory for common sense and justice," says Sherrell.

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2024. All rights reserved.
Reuse this content (opens in new window) CommentsJump to comments
section

Promoted Content

Explore the series

READ MOREInnovative Lawyers: Europe
Lawyers turn to AI to expand pro bono work
 
A group of students wearing black face masks sit attentively in a
classroom, holding pens and taking notes

  *  
    Currently reading:
    Craig Wright said he invented bitcoin -- lawyers proved him wrong
  *  
    Lawyers turn to AI to expand pro bono work
  *  
    Ukraine's law firms pave the way to EU alignment
  *  
    Technology takes class-action lawsuits out of the slow lane
  *  
    Climate lawsuits harness human rights to press for more action
  *  
    How Gabon's debt-for-nature swap survived a palace coup
  *  
    Practitioners: appliance of science adds winning edge to practice

 
See all 34 stories

Follow the topics in this article

  * Law
    Add to myFT
  * Blockchain
    Add to myFT
  * Bitcoin
    Add to myFT
  * Legal services
    Add to myFT
  * Technology
    Add to myFT

Comments

Useful links

Support

View Site TipsHelp CentreContact UsAbout UsAccessibilitymyFT Tour
Careers

Legal & Privacy

Terms & ConditionsPrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyManage CookiesCopyright
Slavery Statement & Policies

Services

Share News Tips SecurelyIndividual SubscriptionsProfessional
SubscriptionsRepublishingExecutive Job SearchAdvertise with the FT
Follow the FT on XFT ChannelsFT Schools

Tools

PortfolioFT AppFT Digital EditionFT EditAlerts HubBusiness School
RankingsSubscription ManagerNews feedNewslettersCurrency Converter

Community & Events

FT Live EventsFT ForumsBoard Director Programme

More from the FT Group

Markets data delayed by at least 15 minutes. (c) THE FINANCIAL TIMES
LTD 2024. FT and 'Financial Times' are trademarks of The Financial
Times Ltd.
The Financial Times and its journalism are subject to a
self-regulation regime under the FT Editorial Code of Practice.
[px]
Close side navigation menuEdition:International
UK
Search the FT[                    ]Search
Subscribe for full access

Top sections

  * Home
  * WorldShow more World
      + Israel-Hamas war
      + Global Economy
      + UK
      + US
      + China
      + Africa
      + Asia Pacific
      + Emerging Markets
      + Europe
      + War in Ukraine
      + Americas
      + Middle East & North Africa
  * USShow more US
      + US Economy
      + Investing in America
      + US Companies
      + US Politics & Policy
      + US Presidential Election 2024
  * CompaniesShow more Companies
      + Energy
      + Financials
      + Health
      + Industrials
      + Media
      + Professional Services
      + Retail & Consumer
      + Tech Sector
      + Telecoms
      + Transport
  * TechShow more Tech
      + Artificial intelligence
      + Semiconductors
      + Cyber Security
      + Social Media
  * MarketsShow more Markets
      + Alphaville
      + Markets Data
      + Crypto
      + Capital Markets
      + Commodities
      + Currencies
      + Equities
      + Wealth Management
      + Moral Money
      + ETF Hub
      + Fund Management
      + Trading
  * Climate
  * OpinionShow more Opinion
      + Columnists
      + The FT View
      + The Big Read
      + Lex
      + Obituaries
      + Letters
  * Lex
  * Work & CareersShow more Work & Careers
      + Business School Rankings
      + Business Education
      + Europe's Start-Up Hubs
      + Entrepreneurship
      + Recruitment
      + Business Books
      + Business Travel
      + Working It
  * Life & ArtsShow more Life & Arts
      + Arts
      + Books
      + Food & Drink
      + FT Magazine
      + House & Home
      + Style
      + Travel
      + FT Globetrotter
  * Personal FinanceShow more Personal Finance
      + Property & Mortgages
      + Investments
      + Pensions
      + Tax
      + Banking & Savings
      + Advice & Comment
      + Next Act
  * HTSI
  * Special Reports

FT recommends

  * Alphaville
  * FT Edit
  * Lunch with the FT
  * FT Globetrotter
  * #techAsia
  * Moral Money
  * Visual and data journalism
  * Newsletters
  * Video
  * Podcasts
  * News feed
  * FT Live Events
  * FT Forums
  * Board Director Programme

  * myFT
  * Portfolio
  * FT Digital Edition
  * Crossword
  * Our Apps

  * Help Centre
  * Subscribe
  * Sign In