Satoshi-era BTC at center of $285 billion bitcoin lawsuit moves after 14 years
Summary
A Bitcoin wallet containing 35.55 BTC, held untouched since March 2011, recently moved its funds, representing one of the first visible responses from a defendant in a major New York state lawsuit. The legal action, filed by a pseudonymous plaintiff known as Noah Doe, seeks legal ownership of approximately 3.8 million bitcoin—valued at roughly $285 billion—under New York's lost-property statutes, claiming the assets are abandoned.
The lawsuit utilized a unique method of on-chain service, where legal notices were embedded into the Bitcoin blockchain via the "OP_RETURN" field. This allowed the plaintiffs to broadcast notices directly to dormant addresses. The movement of the 1LwWt wallet occurs months after the initial notice period expired and after the lawsuit was formally filed, suggesting the assets were not abandoned as claimed.
This activity coincides with significant market volatility, as Bitcoin prices recently dipped toward $60,000 due to institutional ETF outflows and inflation concerns. The movement of these "Satoshi-era" coins is particularly notable because they were acquired when Bitcoin had negligible value, representing massive potential gains.
(Source:Coindesk Indonesia)