Defendant Moves to Dismiss NY Lawsuit Over Dormant Bitcoin

A pseudonymous defendant has moved to dismiss a high-stakes New York lawsuit seeking legal ownership of billions of dollars worth of dormant Bitcoin, arguing that blockchain addresses are not legal entities that can be sued. The motion, filed on Thursday, July 2, 2026, challenges a case that targets 39,069 inactive Bitcoin addresses holding an estimated 3.7 to 3.8 million BTC, a trove valued at over $200 billion.

The lawsuit was filed in May by a plaintiff using the name Noah Doe, along with two Wyoming-based LLCs identified as ABC Company and XYZ Company. The plaintiffs allege the Bitcoin associated with these addresses is abandoned property. They reported the addresses to the New York Police Department in late 2025 and are seeking a declaratory judgment under New York's lost-property law to claim ownership.

The defendant, identifying as John Doe 33, filed a notice of appearance on June 30 and a motion to dismiss on July 2. The motion contends the case is legally defective from the outset because a Bitcoin address is merely a public data string, not a person or legal entity subject to the court's jurisdiction. The filing further argues that the plaintiffs cannot meet the legal...