Australian computer scientist who falsely claimed to have invented Bitcoin referred to UK prosecutors for alleged perjury

A judge at London's High Court found Dr Craig Wright lied "extensively and repeatedly" to support his claim that he was "Satoshi Nakamoto"

An Australian computer scientist who falsely claimed to have invented Bitcoin has been referred to UK prosecutors for alleged perjury.

A judge at London's High Court has found Dr Craig Wright lied "extensively and repeatedly" to support his claim that he was "Satoshi Nakamoto", the pseudonym attributed to the person widely credited with creating the cryptocurrency.

Dr Wright was sued by the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA), a non-profit group that includes cryptocurrency firms, to stop him suing Bitcoin developers.

High Court Judge James Mellor ruled in March that the evidence Dr Wright was not Satoshi was "overwhelming", after a five-week civil trial during which COPA claimed he committed "forgery on an industrial scale" to support a "brazen lie".

In a written ruling on Friday, the judge said he was referring the case to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to consider prosecution over potential perjury and forgery.

"In advancing his false claim to be Satoshi through multiple legal actions, Dr Wright committed 'a most serious abuse' of the process of the courts of the UK, Norway and the USA," he said.

"I have no doubt that I should refer the relevant papers in this case to the CPS for consideration of whether a prosecution should be commenced against Dr Wright for his wholescale perjury and forgery of documents and/or whether a warrant for his arrest should be issued and/or whether his extradition should be sought from wherever he now is.

"All those matters are to be decided by the CPS."

Dr Wright first claimed to be Satoshi in 2016.

He said he was the author of a 2008 white paper, the foundational text of Bitcoin, which was published under the pseudonym.

During the trial, at stake were not just bragging rights to the creation of the world's most popular virtual currency, but claims over intellectual property.

Dr Wright insisted he was the inventor throughout the proceedings, and denied the allegations, which he said were part of a "conspiracy" against him.

But Judge Mellor said in March that Dr Wright had lied "extensively and repeatedly" to support his claim and that he was satisfied, on the balance of probabilities, that he was not Satoshi Nakamoto.

He said Dr Wright had lied about technical details of Bitcoin's creation, forged documents to support his claim and misled the court about his early involvement in cryptocurrency.

The judge also said he was "entirely satisfied" that Dr Wright had lied about the existence of early Bitcoin digital wallets, known as private keys, which he claimed would prove he was Satoshi.

He said Dr Wright had also lied about his early communications with the late David Kleiman, a computer forensics expert who Dr Wright claimed helped him create Bitcoin and who he said was also Satoshi.

Dr Wright claimed Mr Kleiman, who died in 2013, was the "public face" of Bitcoin, while he remained anonymous.

But Judge Mellor said there was "no evidence at all" that Mr Kleiman was involved in cryptocurrency before 2011.

He said Dr Wright had also lied about Mr Kleiman's role in a company he set up after Mr Kleiman's death, which he claimed was to sell Mr Kleiman's half of the Bitcoin fortune.

The judge said Dr Wright had lied about the company's activities, its accounts and its tax affairs.

He said Dr Wright had also lied about the role of another company, Tulip Trading, which he claimed was a vehicle for early Bitcoin transactions.

But Judge Mellor said there was "no evidence at all" that Tulip Trading was involved in cryptocurrency before 2017.

He said Dr Wright had also lied about his early communications with Mr Kleiman, a computer forensics expert who Dr Wright claimed helped him create Bitcoin and who he said was also Satoshi.

Dr Wright claimed Mr Kleiman, who died in 2013, was the "public face" of Bitcoin, while he remained anonymous.

But Judge Mellor said there was "no evidence at all" that Mr Kleiman was involved in cryptocurrency before 2011.

He said Dr Wright had also lied about Mr Kleiman's role in a company he set up after Mr Kleiman's death, which he claimed was to sell Mr Kleiman's half of the Bitcoin fortune.

The judge said Dr Wright had lied about the company's activities, its accounts and its tax affairs.

He said Dr Wright had also lied about the role of another company, Tulip Trading, which he claimed was a vehicle for early Bitcoin transactions.

But Judge Mellor said there was "no evidence at all" that Tulip Trading was involved in cryptocurrency before 2017.

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