Craig Wright, who has long claimed to be Bitcoin inventor Satoshi Nakamoto, has been referred to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for potential perjury charges. This decision comes from Judge James Mellor, who is overseeing a case brought against Wright by the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA).

COPA’s Legal Battle

COPA sought a definitive ruling on whether Wright is the true creator of Bitcoin. In March, Judge Mellor ruled that Wright was not, in fact, Satoshi Nakamoto. Subsequently, in a May judgment, the judge asserted that Wright had lied extensively during the court proceedings.

Judge Mellor’s Statements

In a court document released on Tuesday, Judge Mellor outlined his decision to refer Wright to the CPS. “In these circumstances, as set out in the whole of my Main COPA Judgment, I do not 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,” Mellor wrote.

The judge emphasized that the final decision on whether to prosecute Wright, issue a warrant for his arrest, or seek his extradition lies with the CPS.

Potential Legal Repercussions

This development marks a significant turn in the long-running saga surrounding Wright’s claims to be the creator of Bitcoin. If prosecuted and found guilty of perjury, Wright could face severe legal consequences, further damaging his credibility within the cryptocurrency community.

Next Steps

The CPS will now review the case to determine the appropriate course of action. This could include initiating a prosecution, issuing an arrest warrant, or seeking Wright’s extradition from his current location.

The outcome of this case could have broader implications for the cryptocurrency world, potentially setting a precedent for how legal claims about the origins and intellectual property of digital currencies are handled in the future.