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2024-08-24 15:22:38It’s over for Craig Wright. At least according to official UK court procedures as the deadline to file an appeal has now passed.
Craig Wright has not filed an appeal against his UK court verdict despite two online accounts under his name claiming he had.
“Wright had 21 days to ask the UK appellate courts for permission to appeal after injunctions were imposed on him on July 16. This made the deadline August 5, midnight. ” reports Protos.
No Appeal from Craig Wright, did he Capitulate?
Despite assertions from online accounts purporting to be Wright, the UK’s Judicial Office has confirmed that no appeal has been filed against the recent court verdict.
However, Wright could still file an appeal if he would submit an additional application for an extension of time. Given the mountain of evidence against him in the final court rule, it is unlikely that Wright will do that. The court issued a £1.5m freezing order in July to seize Wright’s assets.
Two accounts on X and Slack which pretend to be Wright posted that he had planned to file an appeal on August 5 and that actually submitted the relevant filing. It’s questionable if these sources are legitimate.
Craig Wright, an Australian computer scientist, first publicly claimed to be Satoshi Nakamoto in 2016. This claim has been met with widespread skepticism in the cryptocurrency community and has led to numerous legal battles.
The Bitcoin whitepaper was published in 2008, and the first Bitcoin block was mined in 2009. The true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto has been a subject of intense speculation and investigation for over a decade, with Wright’s claim being one of the most prominent and controversial.
Recent Developments in the Craig Wright Case
Following a UK court ruling on July 16, 2024, Wright had 21 days to seek permission to appeal. This deadline passed on August 5 at midnight, with no appeal filed. The UK’s Justice case tracker for civil appeals corroborates this information.
Interestingly, two online accounts claiming to be Wright – one on X (formerly Twitter) and another on Slack – stated that an appeal had been planned and submitted. These claims appear to be false, raising questions about the veracity of other statements made through these channels.
It’s worth noting that the court had mandated Wright to post specific notices on his social media accounts, including Slack. The presence of these notices on the accounts in question suggests they may indeed be controlled by Wright or his representatives, making the false claims about the appeal particularly puzzling.
Pattern of Abandoned Appeals: This is not the first time Wright has failed to follow through on an appeal. In Norway, he abandoned an appeal against bitcoin influencer Hodlonaut following the 2024 UK ruling. Additionally, a 2022 appeal against the Peter McCormack defamation verdict was rejected. In that case, Wright was awarded a nominal £1 in damages, with the judge citing a “deliberately false case” brought by Wright.
Legal Implications: The July 16 ruling not only imposed injunctions on Wright but also referred him to the Crown Prosecution Service for potential perjury charges. Curiously, the court noted uncertainty about Wright’s current location, suggesting he could be anywhere from Southeast Asia to Siberia.
Looking Forward: While the deadline for a standard appeal has passed, there remains a possibility for Wright to submit an application for an extension of time. However, given the pattern of abandoned appeals and false claims, the cryptocurrency community and legal observers remain skeptical about future developments in this case.
Observer of the case Arthur van Pelt points out on X: “My guess is also that he couldn’t find a counsel (his current counsel Harcus Parker already stated they didn’t appeal for him) that wants to risk their reputation on this guy, who can only throw more lies and forgeries at court when it’s about the Mellor “not Satoshi” ruling.”
As this complex legal drama continues to unfold, it serves as a reminder of the enduring mystery surrounding Bitcoin’s creation and the challenges of proving identity in the digital age.
The hodder.law blog will continue to monitor and analyze these developments as they impact the intersection of cryptocurrency, identity, and law.