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Craig Wright, an Australian computer scientist who claimed he was Bitcoin inventor Satoshi Nakamoto, has been referred to British prosecutors for his alleged perjury, according to Reuters on July 16.

In March, Judge James Mellor of London’s High Court ruled that the Craig is not the fabled pseudonymous author of the 2008 Bitcoin whitepaper in a lawsuit brought by the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA).

According to the Reuters report, citing a written ruling on Tuesday, Mellor was referring the case to the United Kingdom’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to assess whether Wright should face perjury charges for lying under oath during the trial.

The judge emphasized the severity of Wright’s actions, stating that if his conduct did not meet the threshold for referral to the Crown Prosecution Service, it was difficult to envision any case that would.

“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,” the judge reportedly said.

Disputed claims and legal battles

The mystery of Bitcoin’s creator continues to intrigue the crypto world. Many have claimed to be Nakamoto, but Wright’s claims have sparked the most debate and skepticism. Despite presenting supposed proof back in 2016, experts have pointed out holes in his story and questioned the validity of his evidence.

In 2023, COPA sued Wright to prevent further claims, presenting evidence challenging his proof and the authenticity of his documents. Additionally, Wright has filed lawsuits against Bitcoin Core developers and companies alleging copyright infringement, although these claims have been widely contested within the crypto community.

UK court actions after Wright’s lawsuit loss

The UK’s High Court froze $8.4 million of Wright’s assets to prevent him from avoiding court costs after he lost the COPA lawsuit. This move followed his transfer of some of his assets out of the UK.

The court also issued a World Freezing Order against Wright’s assets to help podcaster Peter McCormack recoup $1.9 million in legal fees from a 2019 libel suit initiated by Wright after McCormack accused him of falsely claiming to be Bitcoin’s creator.