Things are heating up in the Kleiman v Wright trial, right as the court heads into an extended weekend. Ira Kleiman is accusing Dr. Craig Wright of stealing his late brother’s share of the Satoshi Nakamoto fortune, while Dr. Wright maintains that he and Dave Kleiman were not partners in the creation of Bitcoin.
The plaintiffs are wrapping up their stage of the trial, having questioned on the stand the two central figures in the case: Ira Kleiman and Dr. Craig Wright.
In a special episode, The Bitcoin Bridge dives into the so-called “trial of the century.” Joining host Jon Southurst is Britevue founder and CEO Connor Murray whose company uses micropayments to monetize transactions that would otherwise be monetized by ads. As an entrepreneur in the digital currency space who has long followed developments in the BSV blockchain ecosystem, Murray provides insight on how the case is developing and how its outcome could affect the entire industry.
The trial is far from over, and the defense stage is set to begin next week. Based on the latest developments, Murray believes the Wright team has a slight edge in the trial.
“It’s hard without being in the room, but from looking at all the sides, it does look like Craig is winning,” Murray says.
The Britevue founder points out that while it has been made clear during the proceedings that Craig and Dave partnered in some ventures, there is so far no hard, documentary proof that they were partners in the creation of Bitcoin as Satoshi Nakamoto.
A key factor that may decide the case is whether Wright could convince the jury of his truthfulness despite efforts by the plaintiffs to paint him as disingenuous about his businesses and relationships. Adding to the defense team’s challenge is the fact that they have to convince a jury full of “ordinary” people, all of whom have little to no understanding of even the basics of Bitcoin.
“It would be really interesting to see what’s going through some of their heads right now,” Murray says, noting that had jurors been allowed to do a Google search on the topic, a cursory look would likely paint Wright in a negative light.
At this point in the trial, there has been little doubt in the courtroom that Dr. Wright was a key figure in the creation of Bitcoin. Despite this, observers are still waiting with bated breath for Wright’s team to produce definitive proof that he alone is Satoshi Nakamoto. For Murray, however, no amount of “smoking guns” will ever convince Wright’s doubters.
“Identity is not something that’s granted to you by signing a key, by a driver’s license, by anything else,” Murray says. “You can only get the identity of someone by talking to the people that know them, by getting the information about their life.”
Either way, it is apparent that the outcome of this trial will have consequences that may ripple across the industry. But Murray believes, whatever the verdict, Wright will come out on top.
“I think no matter what, Craig wins,” Murray says. “There’s a chance, I guess, W&K gets something out of this, but that still doesn’t mean Ira Kleiman wins, because it doesn’t seem like Ira Kleiman has the rights to W&K or that he will retain control of W&K.”
The stage is set for more bombshell revelations as the defense gears up for its counterattack in the Kleiman v Wright trial. Watch the full episode on CoinGeek’s YouTube channel to hear Murray’s thoughts on how the largest private intellectual property case ever is unfolding.
New to Bitcoin? Check out CoinGeek’s Bitcoin for Beginners section, the ultimate resource guide to learn more about Bitcoin—as originally envisioned by Satoshi Nakamoto—and blockchain.