Bithumb Wins First Instance in First Lawsuit Over Mistakenly Sent BTC
According to South Korean media outlet Digital Asset, the Seoul Central District Court ruled on August 27 that Bithumb won an unjust enrichment restitution lawsuit against a user, ordering them to return the proceeds from the sale of mistakenly sent Bitcoin. The case involves approximately 194 million KRW and is one of four independent lawsuits filed by Bithumb following a February BTC mis-issuance incident this year; the amounts involved in the remaining cases are approximately 500 million KRW, 14.8 million KRW, and 5 million KRW, respectively.
Previously, Bithumb had mistakenly distributed 620,000 BTC to users as part of an activity reward program and subsequently launched a recovery initiative. In March, the exchange reported to the National Assembly that nearly 99% of the remaining unrecovered 1,788 BTC had been successfully reclaimed. The first ruling, which affirms the exchange's right to recover proceeds from the sale of mistakenly issued assets, may increase the likelihood of Bithumb prevailing in the other three cases.