A recent lawsuit filed in a Floridacourt seeks more than $10 billion worth ofBitcoinsfrom an individual who claims to be one of three Bitcoin inventors. The lawsuit doesn’t go into Scooby-Doo mode to unravel the mysteries of Bitcoin’s origin, but instead roots out what could be a scheme to hoard Bitcoins for personal gain. To understand what is going on, you need to break down the lawsuit’s timeline.
The lawsuit centers around three individuals: Paralyzed coder Dave Kleinman who died in 2013 due to complications stemming from an illness, wealthy Australian Craig Wright, and Ira Kleinman, Dave’s brother and executor of his estate. Ira Kleinman is suingCraig Wright on behalf of his brother regarding Bitcoins generated between 2011 and up toDave Kleinman’s passing in 2013.
According to the lawsuit,Dave Kleinman andCraig Wright were in communicationinMarch2008, just seven months beforethe Bitcoin whitepaperpublished in October 2008. By July 16, 2025,Satoshi Nakamoto — the pseudonym used by Bitcoin’s creator — created the very first block of Bitcoin transaction data. Nine days later, Kleinman, Wright, and “two others” successfully conducted a Bitcoin transaction. Eventually,Kleinman tells his brother Ira that he’s creating digital currency with “a wealthy foreign man.“
In 2011,Kleinman and Wright launched a new Florida-based business calledW&K Info Defense Research LLC targeting the development of Bitcoin-based technologies. According to the lawsuit, Kleinman was the “sole member” while Wright served as his “business partner.” From the point they launched the business until Kleinman’s death in 2013, the coder retained ownership of all Bitcoins mined under the company’s banner.
But shortly after Kleinman’s death, Wright toldKleinman’s father that both men were two of three individuals responsible for Bitcoin’s creation. Wright then delivereddocuments to theKleinmanfamily showing thatDave Kleinman transferred ownership of the business to Wright in the case of possible death. BrotherIra Kleinman called foul play, accusing Wright of fraud by backdating documents and forging the deceased’s signature using a computer font.
To keep the accusations from goingpublic, Wright promised IraKleinman that his brother’s estatewouldbe paid what Dave ownedduring those two years under theW&K Info Defense Research LLC banner. That never happened, forcingIraKleinmanto file a lawsuit against Wright this month. According to the lawsuit, the Bitcoin amount will be determined by the court.
Based on evidence provided in the lawsuit, there is a clear difference betweenKleinman‘s signature and the ones seen on theallegedforged documents.According to one of two lawyersresponsible for the lawsuit, “the proverbial ball is in Craig’s court at this point.“
“It doesn’t matter whether either of them were involved in the Satoshi team or are Satoshi themselves,” the lawyer added. “All that matters is what is clear from Craig’s admissions and evidence and emails: That they were involved in Bitcoin mining from the inception of Bitcoin or very shortly thereafter.”
The lawsuit is in the Florida court given it’s the home state of W&K Info Defense Research LLC.
