Deadline Approaching: Mt Gox Trustee Sets Final Cut-off Date for Creditors to Claim Over $3 Billion in Recovered Bitcoin

The Tokyo bankruptcy court trustee for the defunct Japanese bitcoin exchange Mt Gox, Nobuaki Kobayashi, has published a letter stating that creditors have until March 10, 2023 (Japan Time) to register their repayment claims. Kobayashi explains that the team is dealing with “a large number of inquiries” and may not be able to respond to creditors in time if they have questions about the process.

**Editor’s Note: The final deadline that was originally set for March 10, 2023, has been changed to April 6, 2023, after the Tokyo court approved the rescheduling.

Mt Gox Trustee Shares Final Deadline for Creditor Registration

The Mt Gox saga appears to be nearing its conclusion as the Shibuya-based bitcoin exchange’s rehabilitation committee and bankruptcy trustee have outlined a repayment process. The exchange, which launched in 2010, suspended operations in February 2014 and filed for bankruptcy after 800,000 bitcoins were stolen. Since then, 200,000 bitcoins have been recovered, and that amount, along with the corresponding bitcoin cash (BCH) funds tied to the bitcoins, is being used to repay Mt Gox creditors.

In a letter dated March 7, 2023, Kobayashi stated that creditors must register their claims by March 10, 2023 (Japan Time), and those who miss the deadline “will not be able to receive any of the repayments” mentioned in the letter. The repayment methods include choices such as an early lump sum payment, payment in cryptocurrency, bank remittance payment, and settlement through a fund transfer provider. The trustee sold 35,841 BTC and 34,008 BCH in 2017 and 2018, and some creditors will be paid in fiat.

In the Mt Gox claims portal, people can make inquiries, but the letter warns that the Mt. Gox rehabilitation team “may not be able to respond in a timely manner.” According to the rehabilitation committee’s documentation, the remaining Mt. Gox creditors have access to 69 billion yen worth $510 million, 142,000 BTC worth $3.1 billion using current exchange rates, and 143,000 BCH worth $17 million using current exchange rates.

An announcement published on Thursday by the Mt Gox rehabilitation team details that the original March 10, 2023, deadline has been changed to April 6, 2023.