Introduction
In a striking legal move, a New York resident, Noah Doe, alongside two business entities, has initiated a substantial lawsuit against a staggering 39,069 digital wallets. The plaintiffs are seeking judicial recognition of their claim to the cryptocurrency contained within these wallets, collectively valued in the millions. Filed in New York’s Supreme Court, the action targets a vast number of unknown defendants referred to as “John Does 1-39,069”.
Background
The case traces its origins back to the autumn of 2024 when Doe uncovered a pressing security vulnerability in digital wallets that left owners unable to access their holdings, prompting many to abandon these accounts. Employing a unique scanning method he developed, Doe focused on long-dormant wallets that had been inactive for five years or more. Between December 2024 and April 2025, he ran his custom program which generated records and addresses for tens of thousands of seemingly neglected wallets.
Legal Argument
Doe’s legal assertion centers around the argument that these digital wallets qualify as tangible property. He draws parallels between cryptocurrency and cash, stating that just as physical money isn’t stored in separate folders tied to bank accounts, digital currency is not contained within wallets but rather recorded on the blockchain. He emphasizes that losing a private key doesn’t negate the property rights associated with a digital wallet.
Efforts to Locate Owners
In a bid to adhere to the New York Personal Property Law, which mandates finders to make reasonable efforts to locate true owners prior to laying claim, Doe took proactive steps. He uploaded wallet data onto USB drives and presented these to officers at the NYPD’s 17th Precinct on three separate occasions. After holding the drives for varying durations—eleven months for the first batch, four months for the second, and eight months for the third—the police eventually returned them, alongside property invoices acknowledging Doe as the finder.
Notification Campaign
In his quest to reach potential owners, Doe launched an extensive notification campaign. He utilized an advanced blockchain method known as OP_RETURN to embed communication tokens into the unclaimed wallets, directing any interested parties to an official webpage displaying an “Abandonment Notice”. Additionally, he secured a global press release through consultants to further raise awareness.
Results and Conclusion
This outreach yielded some success, with 424 individuals indicating that their funds were indeed not abandoned. However, in stark contrast, a significant number of 39,069 wallets did not elicit any responses. Now, with over a year elapsed since the discovery and reporting of these wallets to law enforcement, Doe is claiming legal ownership over them. His complaint concludes with a warning that without a formal judicial action to confirm ownership, the plaintiffs will indefinitely face potential harm and vetting from transaction counterparts and third parties regarding the legitimacy of their claim.
