This week, the Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI) filed to intervene as a defendant on July 10 in a New York lawsuit seeking legal title to nearly 40,000 dormant bitcoin addresses, adding an institutional voice to a case that already pits plaintiffs’ counsel against a proposed amicus curiae.
Key Takeaways
Bitcoin Policy Institute filed to intervene as a defendant on July 10, 2026, in the $293B wallet case.Noah Doe’s attorney asked the court on July 7 to deny Ian Cohen amicus status and lift the case stay.Justice Kathy J. King holds a hearing on July 14 covering BPI, Cohen and John Doe 33’s motions.White & Case partner Rachel Rodman, representing BPI, told the court in her own affirmation that BPI wants permission to file a motion to dismiss before submitting a formal answer.
Statement Confirms the Move Plaintiffs’ Attorney Pushes to Keep Cohen OutThe plaintiffs’ law firm filed a memorandum on July 7 arguing that Cohen’s brief offers the court nothing useful. According to the filing, the thirty-five page submission cites only twelve judicial decisions and leans on unsupported policy arguments rather than legal authority. The plaintiffs’ attorney also argued Cohen’s claimed expertise amounts to little more than a personal hobby, not the kind of specialized knowledge courts expect from a “disinterested expert.”
The memorandum goes further, accusing Cohen of using the litigation for self-promotion. A supporting affirmation attaches exhibits showing Cohen discussing the case in a podcast appearance filed roughly ten minutes after his amicus motion, plus social media posts advertising a speaking event and urging the public to attend the July 14 hearing.
The plaintiffs’ counsel asked the court to deny Cohen amicus status, lift the stay Cohen’s filing triggered, and strike an unauthorized opposition brief Cohen submitted on June 19 without first asking the court’s permission.
More Voices Enter the Case What Comes NextEvery thread in the case converges on a single date. Justice King is scheduled to hear oral arguments on July 14 at 10:30 a.m. at 60 Centre Street, addressing Cohen’s amicus application, the ongoing stay, John Doe 33’s motion to dismiss, and now BPI’s request to intervene.
The hearing will not resolve the underlying declaratory judgment claim, but it will determine who gets a seat at the table as the case moves forward. With BPI, the Digital Chamber, and an actual wallet holder now pushing back, the plaintiffs face a far more crowded courtroom than the one they anticipated when the case first appeared headed toward default.
