Bithumb Wins First Court Case Over Mistaken Promotional Proceeds

Bithumb has won its first court case in a series of civil lawsuits aimed at recovering mistaken proceeds from a February promotional event. The Seoul Central District Court's 90th Civil Division ruled on August 27 that Bithumb must repay approximately 194 million won to customers who received the incorrect credits.

The mistake occurred when an employee selected Bitcoin as the payment unit instead of the intended 620,000 won in rewards during a random-box event. As a result, 620,000 BTC were credited internally, exceeding Bithumb's actual Bitcoin holdings. The exchange initially said it recovered more than 99% of the mistaken credits through account reversals and voluntary returns.

The court's decision supports Bithumb's argument that customers cannot retain proceeds generated from an obvious payment error. However, each remaining case must still be decided on its own evidence and defenses.