Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-00121
The drawer's contents were destroyed in the flood.
BlockedCase description
A 2014 forum case describes one of the earliest documented hardware wallet (Trezor, then newly released) loss incidents. A user's Trezor was damaged in a flood. The user had written down their 24-word recovery seed but stored it in the same drawer as the device. The drawer's contents were destroyed in the flood. Neither the device nor the seed was recoverable.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Device loss |
| Custody system | Hardware wallet (single key) |
| Outcome | Blocked |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2014 |
| Country | Unknown |
Structural dependencies observed
What this illustrates
The wallet existed only on that device. When the device became inaccessible, there was no other way back in. Access was not recoverable.
Outcome interpretation
Access was not possible under the reported conditions.
Source
Publicly Reported
Evidence type
Forum post
Evidence link
Related cases involving device loss
188 cases involve device loss
274 cases involve hardware wallet (single key)
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This archive documents observed custody survivability failures. It does not attempt to document all Bitcoin losses or security incidents.
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Framework references
Where Bitcoin Custody Intersects Legal and Fiduciary Authority
Where custody creates gaps in estate planning, fiduciary duty, and professional responsibility.
Professional Scope Boundary Matrix
What each professional or product covers, what they do not, and where gaps form between them.
The Independent Assessment Layer in Bitcoin Custody
How independent diagnostic layers emerge when multiple parties depend on shared infrastructure.
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