As the legal battle between the Cryptocurrency Open Patent Alliance (COPA) and Dr. Craig Wright unfolds, new allegations of forgery surface. COPA insists that a key document presented by Wright as evidence of his identity as Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin’s creator, contains visible signs of tampering.

The Contested Document

At the heart of the controversy lies a document dated 2008, which Wright introduced in a video three years ago to support his claim as the pseudonymous Nakamoto. COPA’s scrutiny of the document revealed discrepancies in the alignment and size of the date’s numerals, casting doubt on its authenticity.

Wright’s Defense

Despite acknowledging the visual inconsistencies, Wright stood by the document’s legitimacy. He conceded that while he could not trace its exact origins, he had owned it for an extended period. Wright also distanced himself from his Twitter account’s previous assertions regarding the document’s authenticity.

Expert Analysis

COPA brought forward an expert, Mr. Madden, to compare the disputed document with those from the same era. Madden pointed out alignment and footer discrepancies not typical for documents from 2008. Wright countered by discussing the variability of database formats and dismissed the claim that COPA’s expert had located the original document.

Online Presence and Articles

Further investigation into Wright’s online activities revealed an article titled “Evidence and law,” which Wright confirmed authoring. COPA highlighted a quote from the article where Wright mentioned using his credit card, a detail Wright affirmed.

Ongoing Trial

The trial, which began in 2016 after Wright’s public claim to be Nakamoto, is expected to continue over several weeks. Both parties are bracing for a protracted legal confrontation.

The Stake of the Crypto Community

The lawsuit’s outcome is crucial for the cryptocurrency community, as it will determine the status of the Bitcoin whitepaper and the usage rights of the ‘Bitcoin’ name. COPA, representing major crypto stakeholders, formed to combat patent aggression and promote open access to cryptocurrency technologies.