Shocking! Wall Street's "zombie" companies plan a $150 billion "abandoned" Bitcoin recovery drama, with 40,000 wallets receiving legal warnings.

A "barbaric" Bitcoin recovery plan is sparking widespread attention and speculation within the community. A company that purchased the rights to the name of the famous and now-defunct Wall Street firm Salomon Brothers is attempting to use legal action as a precursor to recover approximately $150 billion worth of "abandoned" Bitcoins. The plan involves sending tiny "Dusting Attack" transactions to about 40,000 Bitcoin wallets, accompanied by warning messages on-chain, demanding that wallet owners prove active ownership within 90 days or face legal action, aiming to establish a new legal precedent for reclaiming lost Tokens. Although this strategy appears highly suspicious, it has successfully prompted one Whale user to transfer Tokens worth approximately $9.7 billion, igniting discussions in the community about on-chain security and legal jurisdiction.

The "Resurrected" Wall Street Giant: Salomon Brothers' Bold Plan

The core of this event is a company that borrowed the name of a defunct Wall Street bank to carry out a bold legal attempt using on-chain technology.

· Background and Objectives: Several individuals claiming to be former employees of the famous Wall Street bank Salomon Brothers, which was dissolved over 20 years ago, have purchased the rights to the company's name and started conducting business under this brand. They are allegedly collaborating with external clients in an attempt to custody approximately 2.33 million Bitcoins (total value of about 15 billion USD).

· Dusting Attack and On-chain Warning: The company has adopted the outdated "Dusting Attack" technique. They sent extremely small transactions to approximately 40,000 wallets containing large amounts of Bitcoin. Each transaction included on-chain information claiming that the owners must prove that their Bitcoin has not been abandoned.

· 90-day ultimatum: The company warns that if it does not receive a response within 90 days, it may initiate legal proceedings to seize custody of these assets.

The Substance of Whale Panic Reactions and Legal Litigation Strategies

Although this action seems more like a "bluff," it successfully created panic within the community and was referred to by the company as an initiative to "enhance on-chain security."

· Whale's reaction: These warnings have clearly deterred some owners of "abandoned" Bitcoins. Some users have been observed moving tokens worth approximately 9.7 billion USD, which has greatly encouraged community interest and speculation.

· Aiming to establish legal precedents: Representatives of Salomon Brothers stated that this move is an attempt to enhance on-chain security, but its essence is to open a gap for a litigation strategy. In certain jurisdictions, lost Bitcoins fall under the scope of "unclaimed property laws." The company is attempting to establish a new legal precedent that would allow it to gain custody of these assets.

· Technical costs and investments: Although the success rate of recovering assets is very low, this plan delivered on-chain notifications on the Bitcoin blockchain, costing tens of thousands of dollars, demonstrating its significant investment and determination to achieve its goals.

Probability Analysis of Success: Almost Zero "Impossible Task"

Despite the "abandoned asset" program having huge potential returns, analysis suggests that the actual likelihood of its success is extremely low.

· Global jurisdiction dilemma: Bitcoin is a global currency, and these "abandoned" wallets are located in different jurisdictions around the world. The company is almost impossible to successfully file ownership lawsuits in every state in the U.S., let alone worldwide.

· Lack of a hard barrier to the private key: Even if the court ultimately agrees with the company's argument and makes a ruling in their favor, the company still does not have the private key. From legal precedents to actual financial gains, this path is considered "practically impossible."

· Intimidation Strategy and Goals: More likely, this is a form of intimidation tactic aimed at luring some users to transfer tokens or actively reach out, or it aims to isolate some small court cases in favorable jurisdictions. Given that these abandoned wallets contain Bitcoin worth 150 billion USD, even a small victory could provide a huge foundation for large-scale lawsuits in the future.

Conclusion

The recovery plan by Salomon Brothers for the "abandoned" Bitcoin worth 150 billion dollars is undoubtedly one of the most "wild" stories in the crypto industry recently. Although its legal strategy is unsettling, the likelihood of success faces severe challenges from Bitcoin's global nature, lack of private keys, and complex jurisdictions. This incident serves as a reminder to cryptocurrency owners that in the on-chain world, the control of private keys is the ultimate safeguard for asset security and ownership. Bitcoin holders should not feel concerned about such legal seizures, but it provides a profound discussion for the industry and regulators about the "unclaimed" status of digital assets.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute any investment advice. The crypto market is highly volatile, and investors should make decisions with caution.

BTC-1.32%
View Original
This page may contain third-party content, which is provided for information purposes only (not representations/warranties) and should not be considered as an endorsement of its views by Gate, nor as financial or professional advice. See Disclaimer for details.
  • Reward
  • Comment
  • Repost
  • Share
Comment
0/400
No comments
Trade Crypto Anywhere Anytime
qrCode
Scan to download Gate App
Community
English
  • 简体中文
  • English
  • Tiếng Việt
  • 繁體中文
  • Español
  • Русский
  • Français (Afrique)
  • Português (Portugal)
  • Bahasa Indonesia
  • 日本語
  • بالعربية
  • Українська
  • Português (Brasil)