Hodlonaut Victorious: Craig Wright Drops Norwegian Appeal in Defamation Case

A recent CoinDesk report states that Craig Wright, a controversial figure who has aggressively pursued legal action against those who question his claim to be Bitcoin's creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, has surprisingly dropped his appeal in a Norwegian defamation case. This decision comes after a series of setbacks for Wright in courts around the world, further casting doubt on his self-proclaimed identity.

In 2022, a Norwegian judge ruled in favor of Bitcoin critic Magnus Granath, known online as Hodlonaut. Wright had sued Hodlonaut for defamation after he called him a "scammer" and "fraud" on social media. However, the court determined that Hodlonaut had "sufficient factual grounds" for his statements, citing Wright's history of failing to provide convincing evidence for his Satoshi claims.

Unwilling to accept this defeat, Wright initially appealed the Norwegian court's decision. But in a recent turn of events, Hodlonaut announced on social media that Wright had withdrawn his appeal. This unexpected move comes just a month after Wright suffered another legal blow in the UK.

The Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) sued Wright in 2021, aiming to disprove his Satoshi claims and prevent him from claiming copyright over the Bitcoin white paper or suing others under the Satoshi pseudonym. In March 2024, a UK judge decisively ruled in favor of COPA. The judge stated that Wright "is not the author" of the white paper, "did not create the Bitcoin system," and has no rightful claim to being Satoshi Nakamoto.

Since these rulings, Wright has maintained a low profile. His usual blustery pronouncements and legal challenges have been replaced by a conspicuous silence. This quietude extends to his long-time financial backer, Calvin Ayre, who mysteriously posted a farewell message online shortly after the COPA case concluded.

Despite Hodlonaut's victory in Norway, the legal saga surrounding Craig Wright isn't entirely over. Wright is still pursuing another defamation case against him in the UK courts. It remains to be seen if Wright will continue this fight or if the recent defeats have finally discouraged his legal crusade.

While the Norwegian appeal withdrawal doesn't definitively disprove Wright's Satoshi claims, it adds another layer of doubt to his narrative.

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