A British man has accused his wife of stealing 2,323 bitcoins from his hardware wallet via a security camera; the coins are now worth approximately $172 million.

Last week, the UK High Court ruled that a lawsuit involving the theft of 2,323 bitcoins could proceed to trial. Plaintiff Ping Fai Yuen alleged in court documents that his estranged wife, Fun Yung Li, secretly obtained the mnemonic phrase of his Trezor hardware wallet using home security cameras in August 2023 and transferred 2,323 bitcoins without his permission. At the time of the theft, the bitcoins were worth nearly $60 million; at current prices of approximately $74,000 each, they are now worth about $172 million. Court documents show that the transferred bitcoins were distributed across 71 blockchain addresses not held in custody by exchanges after multiple transactions, and no further transfers occurred since December 21, 2023. Yuen claims his daughter warned Li of an attempt to steal bitcoins, after which he installed recording devices in the home. Yuen physically assaulted Li after discovering the transfers and pleaded guilty in 2024 to actual bodily harm and two counts of common assault. Li had previously applied to have the case dismissed, arguing that the plaintiff's core claim of "conversion" only applied to tangible property and not to digital assets such as Bitcoin. The judge agreed with this view but ruled that the case could proceed to trial based on other legal claims.