Digital Chamber Intervenes in Dormant Bitcoin Ownership Case in New York

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The Digital Chamber has stepped into a closely watched legal battle in New York, filing a second amicus curiae brief opposing an attempt to claim ownership of long-dormant Bitcoin wallets, including addresses widely believed to belong to Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto. The crypto advocacy group argues that inactivity alone does not amount to legal abandonment and warns that accepting such a claim could reshape digital asset ownership rights in the United States.

The lawsuit was filed by a pseudonymous plaintiff known as “Noah Doe,” who seeks ownership of 39,069 inactive Bitcoin wallet addresses holding an estimated 3.7 to 3.8 million BTC. The plaintiff argues the wallets qualify as abandoned property under New York law because many have remained untouched for years. If successful, the case could establish a precedent for dormant cryptocurrency ownership. The case gained broader attention after Sani, founder of TimechainIndex, posted about the lawsuit on May 24, highlighting its potential implications for dormant Bitcoin ownership and digital property rights.

Galaxy Research Highlights Second Amicus Brief

Galaxy Research reported that a second amicus brief had been filed in the New York Supreme Court case opposing the effort by the pseudonymous plaintiff “Noah Doe” to claim ownership of Satoshi Nakamoto’s Bitcoin as “abandoned property.”  According to the post, the brief was submitted by The Digital Chamber, with assistance from CahillNXT and Stephen Palley of Brown Rudnick LLP, arguing against the plaintiff’s claim.

Digital Chamber Challenges Abandonment Theory

In its filing, the Digital Chamber contends that Bitcoin ownership is determined by possession of private keys rather than transaction activity. The organization argues that applying traditional abandoned-property statutes to self-custodied digital assets would undermine established property rights and create uncertainty for millions of cryptocurrency holders who intentionally hold assets for long periods without moving them.

The group also maintains that Bitcoin’s decentralized nature makes it fundamentally different from conventional lost property. According to the brief, if dormant cryptocurrency were ever considered abandoned under New York law, the issue would fall under the state’s abandoned property framework rather than allowing a private individual to claim ownership.

• Wallets involved: 39,069 dormant Bitcoin addresses
• Estimated holdings: 3.7–3.8 million BTC
• Legal issue: Whether inactive Bitcoin can be treated as abandoned property

Potential Industry-Wide Impact

The case has attracted significant attention across the cryptocurrency industry because it could influence how U.S. courts interpret ownership of dormant digital assets. A ruling supporting the plaintiff could encourage similar lawsuits targeting inactive cryptocurrency wallets, while a decision rejecting the claim would reinforce the principle that control of private keys, not wallet activity determines ownership.

The lawsuit also involves wallets reportedly linked to Satoshi Nakamoto, whose estimated Bitcoin holdings have remained untouched since the network’s early years. Although no final ruling has been issued, the New York case is expected to become one of the most closely watched legal disputes involving cryptocurrency property rights and could help define the legal treatment of dormant digital assets in the years ahead. Scott delivered the remarks at the Digital Chamber’s DC Blockchain Summit in mid-March, where policymakers and industry leaders gathered.