Craig Wright Drops Appeal Against Hodlonaut in Norway

Craig Wright has decided not to pursue further appeal in the court case versus Hodlonaut, a Norwegian bitcoin enthusiast, concluding a nearly five-year dispute over social media allegations. Hodlonaut had labeled Wright as a “scammer” and a “fraud,” questioning his claim to Bitcoin’s invention.

In a 2022 trial in Oslo, a Norwegian judge ruled in favor of Hodlonaut. The judge determined that Hodlonaut had enough evidence to support his claim that Wright deceitfully tried to prove he is Satoshi Nakamoto. Hodlonaut initiated the lawsuit to prevent Wright from pursuing a defamation case regarding similar social media posts in the U.K., where plaintiffs have significant advantages and potential damages can be substantial.

Wright, known for his lawsuits, previously challenged the court’s ruling. However, as reported by Hodlonaut, Wright has since withdrawn this appeal.

I recently finished a call with my Norwegian attorney. Craig Wright has withdrawn his appeal in Norway! I’m thrilled about this development.

A month after Wright suffered a defeat in a UK court case that weakened his claim to be identified as Satoshi, the creator of Bitcoin, he unexpectedly retreated. In 2021, the Crypto Open Patent Alliance filed a lawsuit against Wright with the primary objective of disproving his claim to authorship of the Bitcoin whitepaper and preventing him from suing Bitcoin developers or others under the pretense of being Satoshi.

In March, Judge James Mellor of the U.K. ruled that Wright did not hold the titles of “author,” “adopter,” or “operator” under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. He also determined that Wright was not responsible for creating the Bitcoin system or writing the initial versions of its software.

Although the outcome of Wright’s appeal in Norway has been decided, there are still ongoing legal proceedings against him, such as a defamation case against Hodlonaut in the United Kingdom.

Representatives for Wright did not respond to CoinDesk’s request for comment.