Ripple CTO Backs Craig Wright In Satoshi Trial But There’s A Twist

In a surprising twist amid the ongoing legal battles involving Craig Steven Wright, Ripple’s Chief Technology Officer, David Schwartz, defended his legal team’s arguments. In a post on X, Schwartz offered a shocking take on Wright’s controversial claims of being Bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator, Satoshi Nakamoto. However, the latest statement is poles apart from the Ripple CTO’s previous statements wherein he vehemently criticized Wright.

Ripple CTO On Craig Wright’s Arguments In Satoshi Trial

The conversation began when Hodlonaut, a prominent figure in the crypto community, took to X to highlight a peculiar argument from Wright’s legal team. He stated, “Craig Wright’s lawyers fight for his ‘human right’ to continue ‘identifying’ as Satoshi and asserting that he is.” Moreover, this statement sparked a range of reactions, including a notable response from Schwartz.

Schwartz acknowledged the legal complexity of Wright’s assertions. The Ripple CTO stated, “I hate to say this, but I think they’re right. Craig’s claims that he is Satoshi in conversations don’t fall into any category of speech that the government can prohibit or punish. They’re not fraud. They’re not defamatory.”

This perspective emphasizes the legal distinction between casual claims and fraudulent actions. Furthermore, it suggests that mere assertions of identity in informal contexts may not constitute illegal behavior. However, Schwartz’s defense was not without its caution.

A user questioned whether Wright’s claims amounted to fraud if he sought financial benefit by impersonating Satoshi. Hence, Schwartz clarified his stance stating, “That is fraud.” Nevertheless, the Ripple CTO continued defending the arguments made by Wright’s defense.

Schwartz added, “But him claiming to be Satoshi in casual conversations where he’s not specifically trying to get something of monetary value is not fraud. An injunction preventing him from using any claim to be Satoshi to obtain something of value would be fine.”

In addition, the Ripple CTO further elaborated on the limitations of judicial intervention in such cases. He emphasized that courts are not arbiters of historical truth. Schwartz stated, “Courts don’t get to decide historical questions and then prohibit people from disagreeing with the court’s conclusions.”

The Ripple CTO added, “However, they can issue injunctions prohibiting defamation, fraud, jury tampering, and so on. Claims in conversations don’t fall into any of those categories.”

Also Read: Craig Steven Wright’s Attorney Denies COPA Injunction In Satoshi Nakamoto Case

Update On June 7 Hearing In COPA Vs. CSW Case

COPA’s draft order proposes that Wright “shall not pursue proceedings.” The order aims to prevent him from claiming to be Satoshi Nakamoto in any global legal setting. However, Wright’s legal team, led by Craig Orr KC, sought to change “pursue” to “commence” to allow Wright to defend himself.

Nevertheless, COPA’s Hough KC argued this amendment could create a loophole, allowing friendly parties to sue Wright and revisit the issue. Orr KC invoked Wright’s free speech rights under Article 10 of the Human Rights Act, stating that Wright should be able to claim he is Satoshi. Thereafter, Hough KC countered that the court had found Wright lied about being Satoshi.

The draft order wouldn’t prevent Wright from making such claims privately but restricts public assertions. COPA also seeks to compel Wright to post the court’s findings on various platforms (Twitter, Slack, etc.) for six months. They also suggested referring Wright and others for potential criminal proceedings due to alleged perjury and document forgery.

Orr KC argued that the court’s findings were already widely publicized and accused COPA of seeking revenge and humiliation, claiming COPA had not suffered direct harm. He described COPA’s relief requests as “very wide-ranging, novel, and unprecedented.”

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