This case is so shady— the plaintiff used OP_RETURN to send a notice of abandonment, winning the case only to create a defect in ownership rights, making it easier to argue with exchanges later. Satoshi Nakamoto's coins have become legal tools.

Galaxy reports that the New York Supreme Court has accepted a lawsuit that would recognize ownership of 3.7 million Bitcoins on the basis of the lost property theory, involving Satoshi Nakamoto addresses for 21,744 addresses, with a total value of approximately $274 billion. The plaintiff applies under the lost property law to have ownership declared and, within the specified period, issues a notice of abandonment via OP_RETURN. Even if the plaintiff prevails, they will only obtain a court declaration and may not obtain the private keys or transfer the coins. The core of this ruling is to create a defect in property rights, so that objections can be raised against exchanges in regulatory venues in the future.