‘Bitcoin Inventor’ Craig Wright’s Satoshi Lawsuit Mediation at ‘Impasse’
Self-proclaimed bitcoin inventor Craig Wright attended a mediation conference related to his $10 billion Satoshi Nakamoto lawsuit. | Source: YouTube
By CCN.com: Self-proclaimed “bitcoin inventor” Craig Wright attended a mediation conference in Miami related to his $10 billion lawsuit against the estate of deceased computer genius Dave Kleiman.
Mediator: ‘We Are at an Impasse’
In a federal court filing dated June 18, the mediator noted that the parties were unable to resolve their lawsuit at mediation.
“This case did not settle at the mediation. As a result, we are at an impasse.”
Calvin Ayre: Craig Wright Is Satoshi
Canadian crypto entrepreneur Calvin Ayre tweeted about the mediation moments after it ended. The conference occurred one day after a judge sealed evidence that Wright was ordered to produce over his claims that he’s Satoshi Nakamoto.
Ayre — a business associate and friend of Wright — boldly declared that Wright is determined to cement his “legacy” as the true inventor of bitcoin.
“Craig just finished his settlement conference in Miami…Craig is in the U.S. and is intent on regaining control over his legacy as Satoshi in that country.”
Next Stop: Craig Wright to Be Deposed
Next up for Wright is a June 28 deposition in Florida. Wright is being sued by Ira Kleiman on behalf of the estate of his brother, Dave Kleiman. Dave was divorced and had no children when he died in 2013, so his brother is presumably his main heir.
The Kleiman estate claims that Wright stole 1.1 million bitcoin that Wright and Kleiman had jointly mined between 2009 and 2013. That stash was worth $10 billion at the time the estate filed its lawsuit in February 2018.
There is rampant speculation that Kleiman was Satoshi Nakamoto. Basically, his estate wants half the bitcoin stash (or $5 billion). For Wright, fighting the lawsuit means not only holding onto the $10 billion trove but laying claim to the title of Satoshi Nakamoto.
Kleiman Estate Wants the Money, but Wright Wants the Money and the Title
As CCN.com reported, the Kleiman estate admitted in its lawsuit that Craig Wright and/or Dave Kleiman could be Satoshi and probably invented bitcoin considering they started working on it in 2008. Tellingly, bitcoin was “born” a year later, in 2009.
“It is unclear whether Craig, Dave, and/or both created Bitcoin. It is undeniable, however, that Craig and Dave were involved in Bitcoin from its inception and that they both accumulated a vast wealth of bitcoins from 2009 through 2013.”
Despite claiming that he invented BTC, Wright has distanced himself from the original cryptocurrency. Why? Because he claims bitcoin became perverted and tainted after devolving into a vehicle for criminal activity.
In a withering May manifesto, Wright says he created bitcoin to operate within the law and not to facilitate crimes. Therefore, Wright says he washes his hands of BTC and now embraces Bitcoin SV (Satoshi Vision) as the one “true bitcoin.”
Ayre: Bitcoin Price Will Crater to Zero
This is where billionaire Calvin Ayre comes in. As CCN.com reported, a crypto civil war broke out in November 2018 when Bitcoin Cash (BCH) underwent its contentious hard fork. The fork resulted in feuding Bitcoin Cash camps:
- Bitcoin ABC (Adjustable Blocksize Cap): This group adheres to the “official” Bitcoin Cash road map, which is supported by most node operators and is endorsed by Bitcoin Cash proponent Roger Ver and Jihan Wu, co-founder of Bitcoin mining giant Bitmain.
- Bitcoin SV (Satoshi’s Vision): This faction is backed by Craig Wright and Calvin Ayre.
Now, both Ayre and Wright predict that BTC will disappear and its price will plunge to zero because it’s worthless. “I am predicting [bitcoin] to go to zero value, as it has no utility,” Ayre said in December 2018.
