Hidden wallet discovered — software wallet (2020)

Survives

Case description

A programmer's old hard drive from 2012 was found to contain a Bitcoin wallet when they reviewed old backups in July 2020. The drive was functional but the partition containing the wallet used an old filesystem format. Modern systems could not natively read the format. A specialist tool recovered the wallet file.

Custody context

Stress condition	Device loss
Custody system	Mobile or software wallet
Outcome	Survives
Documentation	Unknown
Year observed	2020
Country	Unknown

Structural dependencies observed

Hardware device required

Outcome interpretation

Access remained possible under the reported conditions.

Source

Publicly Reported

Evidence type

Forum post

Evidence link

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=22697.0

Related cases involving device loss

188 cases involve device loss 572 cases involve mobile or software wallet 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.