Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-00353
Hidden wallet discovered — software wallet (2016)
BlockedCase description
A programmer who held coins in a VM on a cloud provider found in June 2016 that the cloud provider had automatically terminated the VM after a billing dispute. The provider had sent invoices to a defunct email address. All VM data including the wallet was deleted per the provider's terms of service. No backup had been maintained.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Device loss |
| Custody system | Mobile or software wallet |
| Outcome | Blocked |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2016 |
| Country | Unknown |
Structural dependencies observed
What this illustrates
Access ran through a third-party platform. When that platform became unavailable, so did the Bitcoin. 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
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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