Man convicted for repeatedly lying about inventing Bitcoin

A machine idiosyncratic has been recovered to person committed contempt of tribunal for falsely and persistently claiming to beryllium the mysterious inventor of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto.

In March, the High Court ruled Craig Wright was not Satoshi, and ordered him to halt claiming helium was.

However, helium continued to motorboat ineligible cases asserting helium had intelligence spot rights to Bitcoin, including a assertion helium was owed $1.2 trillion ($911 billion).

A justice said that amounted to a "flagrant breach" of the archetypal tribunal bid and sentenced him to 12 months successful prison, suspended for 2 years.

It means if Wright - who is from Australia but lives successful the UK - continues to assertion helium invented the cryptocurrency helium volition look being jailed.

However, Wright, who appeared via videolink, refused to disclose wherever helium was, saying lone helium was successful Asia.

It means an planetary apprehension warrant would person to beryllium issued if the UK authorities wanted to detain him.

Wright's actions were described successful tribunal arsenic "legal terrorism" that "put radical done idiosyncratic hell" successful his run to beryllium recognised arsenic Bitcoin's inventor.

The judge, Mr Justice Mellor, said Wright arguments were "legal nonsense" but acknowledged that helium was not successful the UK and "appears to beryllium good alert of countries with which the UK does not person extradition arrangements".

Starting successful 2016, Wright claimed to beryllium the man down the mysterious moniker Satoshi Nakamoto – mostly known arsenic Satoshi - the idiosyncratic who invented the world's archetypal and largest cryptocurrency.

As the laminitis of Bitcoin, Satoshi could beryllium 1 of the richest radical successful the world, with much than $100bn (£80bn) worthy of the cryptocurrency estimated to beryllium successful their integer wallets.

However, Wright failed to supply factual grounds for his claim, which was mostly disregard by the cryptocurrency world.

In an effort to asseverate helium was Satoshi helium launched costly ineligible cases against radical and companies that challenged him.

His actions prompted a conjugation of manufacture companies - the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) - to unit a precocious tribunal proceedings this twelvemonth to forestall him from carrying retired immoderate further ineligible cases.

A justice ruled successful their favour saying Wright had "lied extensively" to enactment his mendacious claim.

Copa lawyer Jonathan Hough said elements of Wright's behaviour during the proceedings "stray into farce" - but helium told the tribunal it besides had "deadly serious" consequences and created a "chilling effect" connected the industry.