A batch of Bitcoin that had remained untouched since 2011 was recently moved on-chain, totaling 47.26 BTC. The transaction has drawn attention not only due to the long holding period but also because the associated address appeared in a high-profile lawsuit in New York.
The related address has been added to the litigation list.
The case was recently filed in the New York County Supreme Court, with the plaintiff suing under the pseudonym "Noah Doe" and seeking to claim ownership of over 3.7 million bitcoins under New York’s abandoned property laws. These assets are spread across more than 39,000 long-dormant addresses.
The report also mentions approximately 21,923 "Patoshi" addresses believed to be associated with Satoshi Nakamoto's early holdings. The plaintiffs also batch-sent 546 satoshis to 39,069 addresses, along with a link to the complaint, aiming to notify the relevant addresses.
47.26 BTC transfer raises new questions
The address withdrawn in this transaction is allegedly associated with Defendant No. 37923 in the lawsuit. This means that at least one of the addresses claimed by the plaintiff to be "abandoned" has recently resumed on-chain activity.
This development undermines the claim that the associated addresses are no longer under control. If the address holder can still initiate transfers, discussions surrounding the classification of "lost assets" will inevitably become more complex.
The dispute centers on ownership determination.
Galaxy Research notes that Bitcoin remaining inactive for long periods is one of its network characteristics and does not equate to the assets being abandoned. Even if the plaintiff obtains a court ruling asserting ownership, it does not mean they can directly access the private keys and transfer those bitcoins.
However, if the court upholds these claims, such rulings could still be used to freeze assets or impose restrictions on fund disposal. This is precisely why this case not only involves legal interpretation but also touches on the ownership boundaries of ancient Bitcoin addresses.
Currently, the transfer of 47.26 bitcoins at least indicates that some addresses on the litigation list are not completely unreachable. As the case progresses, whether similar addresses continue to show on-chain activity may become a key focus for external observers.