The trial to determine whether Australian software developer Craig Wright invented Bitcoin, the world's most popular cryptocurrency, began in London on Monday. Wright, 53, claims to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the inventor of Bitcoin and author of the white paper that introduced the cryptocurrency to the world in 2008.
The Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA), a non-profit organization established to keep cryptocurrency technology free from patents, is suing Wright for claims he first made in 2016.
The trial at London's High Court, presided over by Justice James Mellor, is expected to last until mid-March.
"Over a period of nearly 10 years... (Wright) had the strongest incentive to prove that he was Satoshi Nakamoto - but he alone failed," COPA lawyer Jonathan Hough said in his opening statement.Satoshi Nakamoto is known to own more than 1 million Bitcoins, none of which have ever been cashed.According to Hough, the documents provided by Wright were not written in the same software code as the original 2008 white paper.
According to Hough, the documents provided by Wright were not written in the same software code as the original 2008 white paper.
"COPA's case is that Dr. Wright's claim that he is Satoshi is a lie based on an elaborate false narrative and supported by document forgery on an industrial scale," the lawyer said in his written submission. As his forged documents and inconsistencies were exposed, he resorted to more forgeries and even more implausible excuses."COPA wants the Supreme Court to rule that Wright, who is expected to be questioned on Tuesday, is not Satoshi.The mysterious programmer describes himself on social media as the "Creator of Bitcoin".
"I designed Bitcoin and announced it to the world," he wrote on his account last month.
Wright, who also describes himself as a businessman on his website, has filed numerous lawsuits against those who claim he is not the creator of Bitcoin, but this time he is being asked to defend himself.
COPA brings together industry heavyweights, including Coinbase and Block, the cryptocurrency platform specializing in digital payments. The organization accuses Wright, nicknamed 'Faketoshi' by his critics, of lying about his identity and forging and manipulating documents submitted to prove his claims.
