Recently, California's new bill AB 1052 has caused quite a stir in the community. Simply put, this regulation classifies digital assets as "unclaimed property" under the management framework—sounds a bit alarming, but upon closer inspection, the logic isn't that complicated.



Let's start with a practical question: do you also have a batch of assets sitting on a certain exchange? You log into your account frequently, but some of the coins in your wallet haven't moved in a long time? This new regulation targets these kinds of "zombie assets."

The rule is actually quite simple: **If your assets on a platform have no transaction record for three consecutive years, they will be deemed unclaimed property, and the management rights will be transferred to licensed third-party custodians**. At first glance, that might sound unsettling, but don't panic just yet—there's a crucial detail that needs to be clarified.

First, this bill doesn't affect the assets in your personal cold wallet. Those private keys you hold yourself are completely unaffected. The real impact is on the assets stored on the platform—in other words, assets that are held in custody by the platform. This is an important distinction, so don't get confused or scared.

Now, what's interesting about California's approach? Compared to other states that simply convert unclaimed digital assets into fiat currency and clear their books, California has decided to **preserve the assets in their original form, without converting to cash directly**. It may sound trivial, but from an investor's perspective—imagine your coins doubling in the next bull market, only to find that your assets have already been sold for fiat and sitting in the treasury—that feeling would be heartbreaking. From this angle, California's move can be seen as somewhat "humanitarian."

Let's talk about my personal view on this bill. On the surface, it appears to be a strong regulatory intervention, but in deeper terms, it actually signals that **cryptocurrency regulation is moving from chaos toward standardization**. In some ways, it can even be considered a "protective policy"—forcing zombie assets into licensed institutions' hands, at least ensuring these assets won't completely vanish due to platform risks.

A straightforward suggestion for ordinary investors: if you have assets on a platform that you haven't touched for several years, consider this regulation as a reminder. Either reactivate those accounts and log in periodically to maintain activity; or transfer your assets to your cold wallet and hold the private keys securely. The three-year grace period is quite sufficient, so there's no need to panic, but don't expect time to turn back.
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MoneyBurnerSocietyvip
· 8h ago
Ha, I knew it. It takes three years to take action again. Now those "commemorative coins" in my exchanges are about to be taken over by the authorities. Do I have to log into my account every three years to keep ownership of this pile of junk coins?
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DaoTherapyvip
· 01-09 20:36
Damn, if I haven't moved it in three years, it's confiscated? Then I better hurry up and clean out those dust-covered coins.
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AirdropDreamBreakervip
· 01-08 04:50
Damn, are my lazy Shib and Doge about to be confiscated? I haven't touched them in three years.
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GasWastingMaximalistvip
· 01-08 04:50
Haven't moved it in three years and it's about to be confiscated? My worthless coins are in danger, haha
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LiquidityLarryvip
· 01-08 04:50
Damn, haven't touched it in three years and it's gone? I need to quickly check on those dusty coins I have.
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RektRecordervip
· 01-08 04:42
Really, my few shitcoins have been lying dormant for three years. Are they about to be confiscated now? Hurry up and transfer to a cold wallet, brother. Don't wait. California's recent actions are somewhat considerate; at least they didn't liquidate everything directly. These zombie accounts should have been regulated long ago, really. Not touching them for three years? It's time to wake up. It seems that regulation is finally becoming more rational; just avoid over-intervention. The key is to hold your private keys yourself; exchanges and such will have issues sooner or later.
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ChainWallflowervip
· 01-08 04:25
Oh no, I'm really panicking about the coins I haven't touched in three years. Luckily, the private key is in my own hands.
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