Families of victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks have filed a statement of interest asserting a claim to Bitcoin seized by the U.S. government from the LuBian.com mining pool.
Background of the claim
The claimants, identified as the Chairnoff Claimants, hold judgments totaling more than $671 million in compensatory damages against the Islamic Republic of Iran for its alleged role in sponsoring the 9/11 attacks. Their filing argues that LuBian.com is an “agency or instrumentality of Iran,” based on a separate lawsuit that alleges the pool was operated by the Iran and China Investment Development Group.
Details of the seized assets
The U.S. government seized 127,271 BTC from LuBian.com. While the pool is described in government documents as a Chinese Bitcoin mining operation, it is acknowledged to have operated at least one facility in Iran. The seized funds are reported to include not only mining proceeds but also assets linked to individuals and entities such as Chen Zhi and Prince Holding Group, as well as transfers from centralized exchanges.
Other claimants
Other groups of 9/11 victims and families who consider themselves victims of state‑sponsored terrorism have also indicated that they may have a claim to the seized Bitcoin.
