New York Judge Pauses Ownership Lawsuit Over 39,000 Dormant Bitcoin Wallets, Hearing Set for July 14

New York Supreme Court Judge Kathy J. King has signed an order to pause proceedings in a lawsuit seeking ownership claims over 39,069 dormant bitcoin wallets, and has scheduled a hearing for July 14 regarding a key amicus curiae brief.

The plaintiffs in the case are an anonymous individual referred to as "Noah Doe" and two shell companies, who are seeking to claim ownership of these wallets under the New York State Abandoned Property Law. Attorney Ian R. Cohen submitted an amicus curiae brief opposing the plaintiffs' claims. He argues that the Abandoned Property Law is intended for tangible items, whereas blockchain addresses are always visible to the world; if the original owner was unable to withdraw assets due to a security breach, this constitutes a passive loss of access rather than a voluntary abandonment. (The Block)