Renowned Cryptographer Says — His Patent Was An O...

While Wright has obtained nearly 4,000 patents related to blockchain technology, critics and organizations like the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) argue his actions constitute "legal terrorism" aimed at obstructing open-source innovation.

However, these claims have been systematically rejected by legal and technical authorities: Renowned Cryptographer Says His Patent Was an O...

Conversely, other cryptographers like held legitimate patents for technologies foundational to Bitcoin—such as the Merkle Tree —well before the 2008 whitepaper, though these are viewed as historical precursors rather than claims to Bitcoin's ownership. Crypto Open Patent Alliance v Wright | Freshfields While Wright has obtained nearly 4,000 patents related