Self-Proclaimed Bitcoin Founder Craig Wright Sentenced to 12 Months in Prison

Craig Wright, the self-acclaimed Bitcoin creator, has been sentenced to 12 months in prison after defying a UK court order.

Controversy is not always far off from Australian computer scientist and businessman Craig Wright. The self-acclaimed Bitcoin founder was entangled in another legal action on Thursday, landing jail time this time.

The British High Court has sentenced Wright to 12 months imprisonment for contempt. The December 19 ruling would see the computer scientist spend one year behind bars, including a 24-month suspension.

Prison Time for Five Counts of Contempt

The beginning of Wright’s woes stemmed from his case with the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA), an NGO consisting of crypto establishments. The firm sued Wright over his escalating claims to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous Bitcoin founder.

Earlier this year, the Australian businessman lost the legal battle, with the court ruling that he blatantly lied in his claims. Furthermore, the judge issued a legal order constraining Wright from filing legal claims relating to Bitcoin.

However, Wright disobeyed the order and pursued fresh legal action against COPA. The association disclosed in a Wednesday hearing that the self-proclaimed Bitcoin founder sued it for £900 billion.

Meanwhile, the High Court tried Wright, who appeared on a video call and claimed he was too poor to afford a flight from Asia for the hearing on Thursday. The court charged him with five counts of contempt and sentenced him to a 12-month jail term.

Wright’s Years-Long Bitcoin Creator Claims Turning Soar

The computer scientist has incessantly made headlines over claims that he created Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency by market cap. A court earlier fueled his claims after ruling in his favor over a dispute with David Kleiman, a renowned computer forensics specialist.

However, several courts have thrown out other legal proceedings on his Bitcoin claims. The most recent ruling was in March when a court inferred that Wright was not the founder of Bitcoin.

Meanwhile, the search for who the pseudonymous founder is has continued. In October, an HBO documentary claimed that Peter Todd was Satoshi Nakamoto, an assertion the Canadian programmer has publicly denied.