Is Craig Wright the inventor of bitcoin? A trial will find out soon

A trial that could affect the future of bitcoin began in the UK on Monday between Australian computer scientist Craig Wright, who claims to be Satoshi Nakamoto (the inventor of the cryptocurrency) and the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA).

Expected to last for five weeks, the hearing stems from COPA’s accusation that Wright’s claim to being Nakamoto is a “brazen lie” and, therefore, he cannot take credit for the technology. The tech group also claims that Wright filed intellectual property lawsuits for his benefit.

Wright has to prove in court that he is the anonymous founder of bitcoin.

The history
In 2008, someone by the name of Satoshi Nakamoto published a white paper called the Bitcoin Whitepaper detailing the creation and deployment of the crypto’s original reference implementation. The white paper is the foundational text that brought bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to life.

In 2015, some outlets claimed that Wright was the elusive Nakamoto, who had disappeared in 2011.

How does COPA fit in?
COPA, a nonprofit consortium of crypto and tech companies, claims that Wright has no claim over bitcoin and the technology as he is not Nakamoto. 

The tech group further alleges that Wright forged the white paper he submitted as evidence to support his claim that he is Nakamoto.

Wright’s lawyer argues he has clear evidence of authorship, highlighting the absence of other claimants to the Satoshi identity.

Interestingly, Wright proposed a settlement ahead of the trial, which COPA rejected, raising concerns over the validity of Wright’s evidence.

If COPA wins, nothing will change. But if Wright wins, which means that the trial concludes that he is Nakamoto, he can make it illegal for anyone to use bitcoin.