By
Chimamanda U. Martha
April 24th, 2024
Craig Wright and Roger Ver have a long history of the rivalry that has been developing in many courts in different jurisdictions. The new chapter is beginning.
Popular figures in the cryptocurrency industry Craig Wright and Roger Ver are set to continue with their supremacy battle in Antigua and Barbuda High Court, where they share citizenship.
This is according to court documents shared by industry publication, CoinGeek, that suggest the case hearings are set to begin.
Wright is an Australian computer scientist and businessman who has publicly claimed to be the identity behind the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto.
On the other hand, Ver is an early Bitcoin adopter and investor who has been funding several Bitcoin startups. Additionally, he is popularly known in the crypto space as a proponent of Bitcoin Cash.
Wright and Ver Huge Rivalry
The two have a long history of the rivalry that has been in different courts from different jurisdictions. Whereby in May 2019, Wright, the Claimant, went to the High Court of England to sue people who called him a fraud regarding himself as the real Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto.
However, his case did not gain traction as the court dismissed the case on grounds of rightful jurisdictions. Subsequently, the Court of Appeal of England and Wales also dropped Wright’s appeal, whereby it said that the suit is not a U.K.-related issue.
Ver is among the popular figures in the crypto industry who are bashing Wright for ‘misleading’ information. In a short video, he urged Wright to sue him once again claiming he is a liar and a fraud. “Craig Wright is a liar and fraud. So sue me. Again,” Ver said in the video.
Having failed in the first attempt and now prompted by Ver to sue him again, Wright’s representatives have filed a case in a country where both the defendants and the claimant share jurisdiction.
However, Ver is planning a different mind game to lengthen the possible spent time in the case. According to CoinGeek, Ver is currently in the process of being served, but Wright’s representatives said he’s elusive. Ver has been allegedly instructed by his lawyer in Antigua not to make himself available for service—which serves no purpose other than delaying the inevitable.
With the hide and seek game initiated by Ver, who is not a new figure in the police custody, and the likely outcome of the case, Wright might start beating his chest claiming an early win.
It will be interesting to note the unfolding and the likely effect in the crypto industry especially Bitcoin’s market price.