New York Court Takes Up Dormant Bitcoin Ownership Lawsuit Challenging Legal Definition of Unclaimed Property

Anonymous plaintiff Noah Doe and two Wyoming LLCs sued in the New York State Supreme Court on May 1, 2026, seeking to have 39,069 dormant addresses treated as lost property under Article 7-B of New York’s Personal Property Law. The dispute involves about 3.7 million Bitcoin and early mining assets, while also testing whether possession of private keys is required to establish legal control and ownership.

On June 5, Judge Kathy King stayed the entire case and the plaintiffs’ motion for a default judgment, scheduling a hearing for July 14. John Doe 33 moved to dismiss on June 30. The Digital Chamber filed an amicus brief on July 6, arguing that the court lacked jurisdiction over wallets worldwide. Around the same time, an address involved in the case that had been dormant for nearly 15 years transferred 30 Bitcoin worth about $1.9 million.