Athena Bitcoin Spam Text Class Action Settlement — Claim by June 2026

By Steve Levine

Published: April 25, 2026

What Is the Athena Bitcoin Class Action About?

Did you receive text messages from Athena Bitcoin after you already replied STOP? You may be entitled to a cash payment from a $4.5 million class action settlement that resolves claims Athena Bitcoin sent telemarketing texts to people who had asked the company to stop. Here is how the proposed settlement works and how to file your claim.

The lawsuit, captioned Jackson v. Athena Bitcoin, Inc., Civil Action No. 4:24-cv-331-MW/MJF, is pending before District Judge Mark E. Walker in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida, Tallahassee Division. Class Representative Keon Jackson alleged that Athena Bitcoin sent, or caused to be sent, telemarketing text messages to residential phone subscribers nationwide who had already requested that those messages stop.

The lawsuit alleges that Athena violated the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act, 47 U.S.C. § 227 (TCPA), which prohibits sending telemarketing text messages to people after they have asked the sender to stop. Athena denies any wrongdoing and denies that it violated any law. The court has not decided who is right. The parties have agreed to settle to avoid the cost, distraction, and uncertainty of continued litigation.

Bitcoin Class Action Lawsuit: Why a Crypto ATM TCPA Case Is Different

Athena Bitcoin operates one of the largest networks of cryptocurrency ATMs in the United States, and its marketing text traffic was tied to a regulated financial product rather than a consumer good. That distinction matters for class members in two practical ways.

First, crypto ATM operators tend to retain detailed phone-number-level records to satisfy money transmitter and anti-money-laundering reporting obligations. The same records that exist for compliance reasons also make it possible to identify exactly which numbers received which messages, which is why the settlement administrator, not the class member, supplies the proof of class membership in the form of a unique Class Member ID. Second, unwanted texts from a crypto company carry a higher follow-on risk than typical spam, because scammers routinely impersonate bitcoin ATM brands to phish private keys and recovery phrases. The legitimate Athena settlement is administered by Kroll and only directs class members to the official athenabitcoinTCPAlitigation.com website. Any text claiming to be related to this case that asks for wallet credentials, seed phrases, or up-front fees is not part of the settlement.

30-Second Self-Test: Did You Get an Athena Bitcoin Spam Text?

You likely qualify if all of the following are true:

• You had a residential telephone number in the United States between August 20, 2020 and August 20, 2024.
• You received text messages from Athena Bitcoin during that window.
• At some point you replied STOP (or sent a single message that consisted only of the word STOP).
• More than 30 days after your STOP request, you still received at least two more text messages from Athena Bitcoin promoting goods or services within a 12-month period.
• The number that received the texts was not a business line.

If you can answer yes to all five, you appear to fit the IDNC Settlement Class definition and can submit a claim. The settlement administrator should have mailed or emailed you a notice with your unique Class Member ID; you will need that ID to file.

Who Is Included in the IDNC Settlement Class?

The court defined the settlement class as all persons in the United States (1) to whom Athena delivered, or caused to be delivered, more than one text message promoting goods or services within any 12-month period, (2) more than 30 days after receiving a message consisting solely of the word STOP, (3) between August 20, 2020 and August 20, 2024, (4) excluding business numbers.

The following are excluded from the class:

• Athena and its parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, and controlled persons.
• Athena’s officers, directors, agents, servants, and employees, and the immediate family members of such persons.
• The judges and staff of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida.
• Anyone who validly opts out of the settlement.

What Benefits Does the Athena Bitcoin Settlement Provide?

Athena has agreed to create a settlement fund of $4,500,000. After notice and administration costs, attorneys’ fees, and a service award to the class representative, the remaining funds are used to pay class member claims.

• Cash payment from the fund. Each IDNC Settlement Class Member who submits a timely and valid claim form is eligible to receive a cash payment from the Settlement Fund.
• Pro rata distribution. The actual amount each claiming class member receives will not be determined until after the claim deadline passes, because the per-person payment depends on how many valid claims are filed. The amount may be more or less depending on total claim volume.
• Class Member ID required. You must enter the unique Class Member ID printed on the mailed or emailed notice you received from Kroll. No receipts, phone bills, or other out-of-pocket documentation are required — the ID is how the administrator confirms your number is on Athena’s text records.

Crypto Spam Text Class Action Claim Form: How to File

You can submit your claim in the following ways:

• Online: The fastest option is to file at the official settlement website, athenabitcoinTCPAlitigation.com. Have your Class Member ID from the mailed or emailed notice ready.
• By mail: You may download a paper claim form from the settlement website and mail the completed form to the settlement administrator at the address listed in the official notice. Include your Class Member ID on the paper form.

If you did not receive a notice or cannot find your Class Member ID, contact Kroll through the official settlement website to request it. Online claim forms must be submitted by June 30, 2026. Mailed claim forms must be postmarked no later than June 30, 2026.

Key Deadlines

• Opt out of the settlement by: May 15, 2026
• Object to the settlement by: May 15, 2026
• Submit a claim form by: June 30, 2026
• Final approval hearing: August 10, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. before the Honorable Mark E. Walker at the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida

What Happens If I Do Nothing?

If you do nothing, you remain in the IDNC Settlement Class and will be bound by the settlement if the court approves it, but you will not receive any cash payment. You will also give up your right to sue or continue to sue Athena Bitcoin for the released claims, including TCPA claims related to text messages received between August 20, 2020 and August 20, 2024. If you want a payment, you must submit a valid, timely claim form — with your Class Member ID — by June 30, 2026.

Opting Out or Objecting

If you do not want to be part of the settlement, you can opt out by mailing a written request for exclusion postmarked by May 15, 2026. The request must include your name and address, the telephone number that received the text messages at issue, and your signature. Opting out means you will not receive a cash payment, but you keep the right to sue Athena Bitcoin on your own over the same issues. You cannot opt out by phone or by email, and no “mass” or “class” opt-outs filed by third parties are allowed.

If you do not opt out, you may object to the settlement by filing a written objection with the court no later than May 15, 2026, and serving copies on class counsel and defendant’s counsel. Your objection must include your full name, address, telephone number, and email address (if any), the specific grounds for the objection with any supporting legal authority, the number of times you have objected to a class action settlement in the prior five years and copies of any related orders, the identity of any lawyers representing you in connection with the objection and their prior objection history, a list of any witnesses you intend to call at the final approval hearing, and your personal signature.

Is This a Bitcoin Scam Text? How to Tell the Real Settlement from Phishing

Bitcoin and crypto-related scam texts are common, and bad actors have a history of impersonating real settlements to steal money or wallet credentials. A few signals separate this legitimate settlement from a scam:

• The official settlement website is athenabitcoinTCPAlitigation.com. Anything else is not the settlement.
• The settlement administrator is Kroll Settlement Administration. Kroll will never ask you to send cryptocurrency, share a seed phrase, share a recovery phrase, send gift cards, or pay an up-front fee to claim your payment.
• Filing a claim is free. There is no cost, no processing charge, and no release fee.
• A real claim asks only for the Class Member ID from your mailed or emailed notice plus basic identifying and payment information — never wallet credentials.
• If a text or email about this case asks you to click a shortened link, log in to a wallet, or verify a crypto balance, it is not part of the settlement.

Attorneys and Service Awards

The court appointed lawyers from The HQ Firm, P.C. as Class Counsel. You will not be charged for their services. Class Counsel will ask the court to award attorneys’ fees in an amount equal to 33% of the Settlement Fund, plus litigation costs, a service award for the Class Representative, and the costs of administering the settlement, all paid from the Settlement Fund. The court may award less than the amounts requested.

How Do I Find Class Action Settlements?

Claim Form Website: athenabitcoinTCPAlitigation.com

Submit Claim

Official Settlement Notice

Sources

Filing Class Action Settlement Claims