In a landmark decision that has sent shockwaves throughout the cryptocurrency world, Craig Wright, the man who has famously claimed to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin, won a U.S. Appeals Court case against Ira Kleiman (brother of David Kleiman), solidifying his position in a billion-dollar Bitcoin dispute.

The controversy revolves around Wright and the late David Kleiman, a computer forensics expert.

For years, the Kleiman estate, represented by David’s brother Ira, has argued that David and Wright were in a partnership when they mined billions of dollars’ worth of Bitcoin in the early years of the cryptocurrency.

The stakes were incredibly high, with the disputed amount of Bitcoin purportedly worth billions of dollars.

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On Thursday, the Eleventh Circuit judges made a decisive ruling, stating that Wright and Kleiman were not in a legal partnership, upholding a 2021 decision made by a Florida jury.

This outcome is a significant blow to the Kleiman estate, which has been embroiled in this legal battle for years, seeking a right to half of the mined Bitcoin.

The decision does not, however, cover the separate ongoing dispute involving the $100 million Wright was previously ordered to pay to W&K Info Defense Research, a company founded by Kleiman.

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Wright has also been involved in legal battles in the U.K., suing a group of crypto developers for refusing to implement a mechanism that would allow his company, Tulip Trading, to regain control of lost crypto assets.

The story has been full of twists and turns, with Norwegian judge Helen Engebrigtsen even ruling in 2022 that it was fair to describe Craig Wright as a “fraud” and “scammer” in his claim to be Nakamoto—a decision that has since been appealed.

Thursday’s ruling not only brings clarity to the long-standing Kleiman v. Wright case but also sheds light on the intricate and often murky world of cryptocurrency ownership and intellectual property rights.

With an estimated 1.1 million bitcoins at stake, valued at over $47 billion, the implications of this case are monumental.

Craig Wright’s victory in the Appeals Court is a defining moment in his journey to establish himself as the creator of Bitcoin, though it’s important to note that many if not most Bitcoin experts believe he is in fact not Satoshi Nakamoto.

Despite the criticisms and legal challenges he has faced, he has remained steadfast in his claims.

Yet, with the court now validating his position, Wright has solidified his place in the history of cryptocurrency.

The ruling is expected to have far-reaching implications, not just for Wright and the Kleiman estate, but for the broader crypto community, as it brings closure to one of the most high-profile and contentious legal battles in the world of digital currency.

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The crypto world has been closely watching the case, and Thursday’s decision is sure to be a topic of heated discussion and analysis in the weeks and months to come.

With the Appeals Court’s ruling, Wright has taken a significant step towards ending the years-long dispute, though it is unclear what the future holds for him and the disputed Bitcoin fortune.

For the Kleiman estate, represented by Ira Kleiman, this marks the end of a grueling legal battle.

While the estate was awarded $143 million in a previous ruling, it has now lost the right to half of the disputed Bitcoin fortune—a sum that is exponentially larger. Nevertheless, experts argue that this Bitcoin was never in the possession of Kleiman or Wright and is owned by the real Satoshi Nakamoto.

As the dust settles on this landmark case, the crypto community is left to ponder the implications of the ruling, and what it means for the future of Bitcoin and cryptocurrency at large.

With Wright emerging victorious, the saga of the billion-dollar Bitcoin dispute has reached a dramatic conclusion, closing a chapter in the tumultuous history of cryptocurrency. The cryptocurrency community is mostly still unconvinced of Wright’s claims but no one (except for him and the real Satoshi Nakamoto) knows for sure if he is telling the truth.