A court case is ongoing in the UK, where a man accuses his ex-wife of a large-scale cryptocurrency theft. According to the plaintiff, the woman gained unauthorized access to his Trezor wallet seed phrase using hidden video and audio surveillance. As a result, over 2323 BTC, equivalent to approximately $172 million, was withdrawn from the account and the funds were distributed across 71 cryptocurrency addresses without the owner’s knowledge.
This is reported by Finway
How the Bitcoin Theft Occurred
Court documents reveal that the incident took place back in August 2023, when all the coins were transferred to other addresses. The plaintiff claims that his daughter warned him about a potential risk, prompting him to install audio equipment in the house to gather evidence against his wife. As a result, both spouses were conducting hidden surveillance on each other.
The case documents mention audio recordings made by the wife, which contain phrases like “the bitcoins were transferred to me” and “take everything.” There are also recordings of conversations regarding the placement of cameras, and the plaintiff believes that the accused’s sister may have been involved in the operation.
It is claimed that the woman “secretly recorded” him while trying to access the seed phrase.
After the disappearance of the funds was discovered, a serious conflict arose between the spouses. The plaintiff was arrested for assaulting his wife, and he pleaded guilty to causing her bodily harm.
Court Proceedings and Subsequent Events
The accused was detained by the police, who seized several cold wallets, but later released her on bail. Law enforcement stated that they would not take further action without new evidence. In November 2025, the plaintiff filed a motion in court for asset seizure, demanding recognition of his ownership rights to the stolen bitcoins or their equivalent in British pounds.
The judge noted that the plaintiff’s chances of success in the case are very high and emphasized the need for expedited proceedings due to the high volatility of the Bitcoin exchange rate. Following the incident, the man divorced the woman suspected of stealing the assets.