Mystery Client Claims Abandoned Bitcoin Holdings via Massive OP_RETURN Campaign
An unprecedented campaign has unfolded in the Bitcoin world, with an unknown client of Salomon Brothers Securities Inc. sending over 41,000 OP_RETURN messages to dormant wallets, claiming 'constructive possession' of seemingly abandoned Bitcoin holdings. The campaign, conducted in summer 2025, has sparked debate about the future of abandoned cryptocurrency and the potential of OP_RETURN for pseudo-legal processes at blockchain scale.
The campaign targeted legacy P2PKH addresses with extensive inactivity, averaging around 2,171 days or nearly six years. The notices asserted that the targeted wallets 'appear to be lost or abandoned' and gave owners ninety days to prove control. The messages contained 'LEGAL NOTICE' language and URLs pointing to Salomon Brothers' website. The campaign demonstrates that OP_RETURN, previously used mainly for storing data like memes, can now carry pseudo-legal processes at a massive scale.
An unknown actor was behind the 41,523 OP_RETURN messages sent to 39,423 recipient addresses, holding approximately 2.334 million BTC. This coincides with renewed on-chain movement from at least one long-silent whale. Salomon's public stance frames the effort as a compliance exercise but warns against unauthorized access after the 90-day window. However, translating a court order into on-chain control is complex and varies by state, requiring the private keys.
At press time, Bitcoin price traded at $121,614. The abandoned-property law in the US varies by state, making the campaign's legal implications unclear. Despite this, the campaign marks a significant development in the use of OP_RETURN and the potential future of abandoned cryptocurrency. It remains to be seen how wallet owners will respond and what legal recourse, if any, they may have.
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