A husband tried to hide a digital wallet containing 5 bitcoins during divorce proceedings, but a digital forensic investigation traced the assets and exposed the concealment. The court ordered the amount to be divided with his ex-wife, setting the value of the split at R$ 1.8 million. The case sets a precedent on how crypto assets are subject to marital property division rules under Brazilian family law.

The husband kept the 5 bitcoins in a digital wallet whose access details he did not disclose during the division of assets. The forensic investigation located the assets and confirmed they existed when the marital relationship was dissolved, at which time each bitcoin was worth around R$ 180,000, for a total of approximately R$ 900,000. As the asset later appreciated in value, the amount reached R$ 1.8 million by the time of the court ruling.

When the defendant refused to hand over the bitcoins, the judge stepped up the pressure. The order provided for the freezing of bank accounts and the seizure of the husband’s property until its value covered the appraised value of the concealed coins. The ruling also authorized payment in cash if handing over the assets in kind was not possible.

Bitcoin wallets are pseudonymous: transactions are publicly recorded on the blockchain, but the owner’s name does not appear. The forensic investigation combined an analysis of metadata from the husband’s devices, tracking of addresses on the blockchain, and cross-referencing with financial records to link the wallet to the defendant.

#Criptomoedas #Brasil #Bitcoin