Satoshi Nakamoto Sued? $83.7 Billion Worth of BTC Up for 'Legal Claim'
An anonymous individual known as Noah Doe, along with two Wyoming LLCs, has filed a lawsuit in the New York Supreme Court. They are attempting to use New York's "lost and found" laws to claim legal ownership of approximately 837 billion USD worth of Bitcoin held in 39,069 dormant addresses. Crucially, this list includes addresses believed to belong to Bitcoin's creator, Satoshi Nakamoto (holding around 837 billion USD), alongside other long-inactive addresses from Mt. Gox and early Bitcoin holders.
The plaintiff's legal strategy hinges on classifying these public Bitcoin addresses as "lost property." They submitted a USB drive containing only the public addresses to the New York Police Department, sent OP_RETURN notifications on the Bitcoin blockchain, and issued press releases. Their argument is that after these efforts and a waiting period, they should be granted ownership. A key, and highly controversial, claim is an unnamed "independent expert" valuing each address at under 10 USD, allowing for a faster legal process.
Analysts from Galaxy point out major flaws in the case. The plaintiff never physically possessed the Bitcoin or private keys. The "under 10 USD" valuation is considered unrealistic, and allowing anonymous companies to claim such vast assets is highly unusual. Even if the plaintiff wins, they would only receive a court declaration of ownership, not the actual private keys to move the Bitcoin.
The real danger lies in this court document acting as a "cloud on title." If any of these Bitcoins are later transferred to a regulated exchange or custodian, the plaintiff could present the judgment to freeze the assets, forcing the true owner into lengthy and de-anonymizing litigation to prove ownership. The outcome is uncertain, but the case highlights potential legal risks for dormant cryptocurrency holdings.
marsbitHace 2 días 08:13
