The safe was destroyed in a house fire in March 2016.

Blocked

Case description

A Trezor user had their device and the envelope containing their seed phrase both stored in the same home safe. The safe was destroyed in a house fire in March 2016. The Trezor device's plastic casing melted and internal components were destroyed. The seed paper inside the safe was also burned. Neither the device nor the seed was usable for recovery.

Custody context

Stress condition	Device loss
Custody system	Hardware wallet (single key)
Outcome	Blocked
Documentation	Unknown
Year observed	2016
Country	Unknown

Structural dependencies observed

Hardware device required

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

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=255793.0

Related cases involving device loss

188 cases involve device loss 274 cases involve hardware wallet (single key) View archive statistics →

This archive documents observed custody survivability failures. It does not attempt to document all Bitcoin losses or security incidents. Submit a case

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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.