Self-Proclaimed Bitcoin Creator Craig Wright Slapped With an Assets Freezing Order Over Libel Lawsuit

The High Court of the United Kingdom is freezing the assets of computer scientist and businessman Craig Wright, according to new legal documents.

The court issued a worldwide freezing order (WFO) upon the request of podcaster Peter McCormack with the aim of recouping his legal fees incurred when Wright sued him for defamation.

McCormack tells his 543,000 followers on the social media platform X that the order froze roughly 1.54 million British pounds ($1.9 million) worth of Wright’s assets, which could help him recoup his legal fees.

Says Justice James Mellor in his ruling,

“Wright was using the law of defamation … to silence anyone who dared to contend that Dr. Wright was not Satoshi or to question his claim… I was entirely satisfied that Mr. McCormack has a good arguable case (indeed a very strong case) for recovery of costs in the sum of £1.548 million.”

Wright proclaimed himself to be Satoshi Nakamoto for years. However, a judge ruled in March that there was overwhelming evidence that Wright is not actually Satoshi nor is he the author of the Bitcoin (BTC) white paper, the original thesis behind the digital asset.

Wright had sued McCormack, host of the What Bitcoin Did podcast, for libel after he called Wright a “fraud” when challenging the computer scientist’s claim that he was the pseudonymous Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto.

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