Craig Wright, the Australian computer scientist who claims to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the anonymous creator of Bitcoin, is facing new charges of perjury. His sworn statements concerning the ownership of Bitcoins linked to Satoshi’s identity are being called into question, threatening his credibility and the outcome of the legal proceedings pitting him against the heirs of his former partner.
Perjury charges against Craig Wright
The courts have repeatedly questioned the credibility of Craig Wright’s statements. In particular, one judge declared that Wright “produced falsified documents” and “perjured himself in my presence”. These perjury charges are particularly serious, as they could lead to criminal proceedings against Wright.
The Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA), which is taking Wright to court to prevent him from claiming to be Satoshi Nakamoto, has also indicated that it will request the referral of certain documents provided by Wright to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, to be examined for possible prosecution for perjury.
Inconsistencies in Wright’s statements
The courts found numerous inconsistencies and contradictions in Wright’s statements regarding his alleged ownership of bitcoins linked to Satoshi’s identity. For example, Wright repeatedly claimed not to have access to these bitcoins, before claiming to be able to transfer them.
These inconsistencies have seriously damaged Wright’s credibility and called into question his ability to prove that he is indeed Satoshi Nakamoto, as he claims. They could also expose him to prosecution for perjury, if it is established that he deliberately lied under oath.
The challenge of legal proceedings
The court case between Craig Wright and the heirs of his former business partner David Kleiman is crucial to determining the true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto. If Wright is found guilty of perjury, it could not only damage his credibility, but also have major legal consequences.
Indeed, Kleiman’s heirs are claiming half of the 1.1 million bitcoins that Wright and Kleiman allegedly mined together as Satoshi Nakamoto. A conviction for perjury could therefore deprive Wright of these bitcoins and win the Kleiman heirs’ case.
