Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) wins the latest battle as a UK high court rules in its favour in the ongoing litigation with Craig Wright.
Yesterday, a UK high court ruled in favour of Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) in its ongoing court case with Craig Wright. In its ruling, the presiding judge, HHJ Paul Matthews, ordered the defendant to pay the sum of $70,000 to the claimants.
This new development is the latest in the series of twists and turns that have met Craig Wrights claims to be Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin’s originator. His claims have brought him into the crosshairs of Jack Dorseys COPA, who have challenged Dr Wright’s copyright in the Bitcoin white paper.
Wright Faces Social Media Onslaught
Dr Wright is no stranger to controversy special in light of his claims to be the pseudonymous founder of Bitcoin. He recently drew the ire of Bitcoin enthusiasts on social media over some statements he made about the foremost cryptocurrency.
On Twitter, the supposed originator of Bitcoin claimed that the foremost cryptocurrency had only four nodes controlling the entire network. He further claimed that Bitcoin’s lone consensus mechanism entails creating and spreading a valid block. This block allows others to build until a depth of 100 blocks is reached.
This claim led to an uproar on Twitter from supporters of digital currency who called Dr Wright out on his claims. A ‘fake satoshi researcher’, Arthur van Pelt, whose account got suspended recently debunked these assertions in a thread. He said that four nodes did not control the Bitcoin network; instead, it had 50,000 nodes, just as Satoshi Nakamoto described in his whitepaper.
Arthur’s tweet before the ban
Source: Twitter
He pointed out that the Bitcoin whitepaper referred to all nodes and not only mining nodes as claimed by Dr Wright. He further explained the inner mechanics of nodes and the consensus mechanism that controls the network—Proof of Work. Finally, he cast doubt about Dr Wright being Satoshi Nakamoto, especially as his claim contradicts Bitcoin’s whitepaper. He asserted that he would show better understanding instead of ‘spewing nonsense’ if he were Bitcoin’s originator.
Court Verdict May Have Substantiated Wrights Claims
Dr Wright, late last year, won a court case against the estate of his former partner late David Kleinman. The deceased’s family alleged that Wright owed half of “Satoshi’s” Bitcoin holdings to Kleinman after being cheated out of the intellectual property rights to the cryptocurrency.
The US jury ordered the Australian computer scientist to pay $100 million in damages to Kleinman’s estate. The decision somehow substantiated his claim to be the originator of the digital asset. However, many in the crypto community are still sceptical of his claim.
Since his mysterious disappearance shortly after publishing Bitcoin’s whitepaper, several claims to being Satoshi Nakamoto have cropped up. Many believe the name — Satoshi Nakamoto — is a pseudonym and could refer to a man, a woman, or a group of people. However, only Dr Wright’s claims seem to be gathering media attention and widescale reactions.
Do you think Dr Craig Wright’s claims to being Satoshi Nakamoto are substantiated in light of his ongoing court proceedings? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Chris is a crypto enthusiast and a firm believer in the blockchain’s ability to create a new financial paradigm. Through writing, Chris hopes to expose the intricacies of this disruptive technology and how it is beneficial to Africans and developing countries. He aims to give readers a rational and unbiased outlook of the industry by equipping them with the necessary information to make enlightened investment decisions.
