The self-proclaimed Satoshi Nakamoto, Craig Wright, will now have to provide a list of all the public addresses of the bitcoin he held as of December 31, 2013. Per United States Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart, Wright will produce the relevant bitcoin addresses on or before May 15, 2019.
Craig Wright ordered by court to produce lists of owned bitcoin addresses along with details about his alleged blind trust: https://t.co/9bwaiiEECF
— WizSec Bitcoin Research (@wizsecurity) May 4, 2019
Wright had objected to the plaintiffs seeking to have him list the bitcoin public addresses by filing a motion. The motion had argued that it would have been ‘unduly burdensome’ to produce a full list of his bitcoin holdings. U.S. Magistrate Judge Reinhart has now struck down that motion finding it to be unsupported by facts.
The Kleiman Estate vs. Craig Wright lawsuit
The newest development in case number 18-CIV-80176 is part of the discovery process in a lawsuit in which the self-styled Satoshi Nakamoto is accused of misappropriating the fortune of his partner Dave Kleiman, who passed away in 2013. The lawsuit was filed last year in February.
In 2011, Kleiman and Wright had partnered to set up a bitcoin mining firm known as W&K Info Defense Research LLC. Kleiman’s estate alleges that the self-declared Satoshi Nakamoto conspired to claim the ownership of the bitcoins held by Dave.
Depending on the arrangement, Wright either defrauded Kleiman of half or all of the 1.1 million bitcoins mined by W&K. Dave’s brother, Ira Kleiman, is the lead plaintiff and the personal representative to the deceased’s estate.
Tulip Trust – The epicenter of the fraud allegations
Besides giving the bitcoin addresses, Wright must also identify all the bitcoins that he transferred Tulip Trust in 2011. Tulip Trust, a blind trust, was set up in the same year that the transfers were made.
With regards to the blind trust, Wright will also be required to produce documents that relate to it. Wright must also identify the blind trust’s trustees, both current and former as well as its beneficiaries. U.S. Magistrate Judge Reinhart has ordered that this must be done on or before May 8, 2019.
On or before May 9, 2019, Wright will also be required to produce documents detailing how the blind trust was formed, administered and operated. The self-declared Satoshi Nakamoto will also be required to state under oath how the bitcoins were moved to the blind trust.
Kleiman’s family claims that Dave never ceded ownership of W&K. Last month Wright produced an email intended to negate this but it was found to be fraudulent. The self-styled Satoshi Nakamoto later withdrew it as evidence. Wright has also tried to have the lawsuit dismissed on various occasions.
Will The Kleiman Estate Vs. Craig Wright Lawsuit help uncover the real Satoshi Nakamoto?
The blind trust known as Tulip Trust allegedly holds approximately 1.1 million bitcoins. This coincides with what is believed to be the number of bitcoins that Satoshi Nakamoto held. While there is no guarantee that more information on the Tulip Trust will uncover the real Satoshi Nakamoto, the discovery process could shed more light and insight.
Additionally, the discovery process could also serve to either build or destroy theories concerning the identity of Satoshi Nakamoto.
This is especially so given that notable personalities in the cryptocurrency space have made educated guesses hinting that Dave Kleiman could have been the real bitcoin creator. This includes Jeff Garzik, one of the leading early Bitcoin developers.
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Source: CCN
