Jury Deliberating in Kleiman-Wright "Trial of the Century"

Written by :

Aaron Goldstein

Published on :

23 November, 2021

Jury Deliberating in Kleiman-Wright "Trial of the Century"

A federal jury in Miami is set to determine the rightful owner of nearly $69 billion in Bitcoin and whether an Australian computer scientist is indeed the creator of Bitcoin, who until now has been known as Satoshi Nakamoto.

Ira Kleiman brought the case against Craig Wright. Ira Kleiman's is the brother of a man Wright claims worked with him on the creation of Bitcoin. Dave Kleiman passed away in 2014.

Kleiman’s estate claims there was a partnership between the two men and, after Dave’s death, Wright transferred partnership assets to entities he alone controlled and forged documents to make it look as though Dave consented to the transfers.

Lawyers on both sides have spent much of the month arguing over whether Wright invented Bitcoin alone or whether he did it with the late Dave Kleiman.

The jury is also being asked to return verdicts on seven counts, guilty or not guilty.

These include the following per our colleagues over at CoinGeek:

Breach of partnership: was there a partnership between Dave Kleiman and Dr. Craig Wright, and if so, did Dr. Wright breach that partnership?

Conversion: did Dr. Wright wrongfully exercise control over the property of Dave Kleiman and W&K?

Civil theft: did Dr. Wright obtain (or attempt to obtain) the property of Dave Kleiman, W&K and/or the partnership, with criminal intent to derive that party of the property?

Fraud: did Dr. Wright make false statements or (or make omissions) which he knew to be false, with the intention that Dave Kleiman or W&K rely on that statement (or omission), and did such reliance cause damage to either Dave Kleiman or W&K?

Constructive fraud: did Dr. Wright take advantage of a relationship of trust between himself and the plaintiffs, thereby causing that plaintiff damages?

Breach of fiduciary duty: did Dr. Wright fraudulently obtain a judgment against W&K in Australia, thereby breaching a fiduciary duty owed by Dr. Wright to the company?

Unjust enrichment: did Dr. Wright receive a benefit from Dave Kleiman and/or W&K, and would it be inequitable for Dr. Wright to retain that benefit without paying for it?

One thing is clear, a verdict will not be determined this week. The jury began deliberations just prior to 5 pm Tuesday before breaking for the Thanksgiving holiday, which extends through this upcoming weekend. They will return to deliberations on Monday.

Kurt Wuckert Jr brings us the final analysis from the blockbuster trial.