Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-00832
A forensics lab charged $2,500 but could not recover the specific file.
BlockedCase description
A user who had stored their wallet on an old phone set aside as a cold device found in June 2020 that the phone's storage had developed bad sectors due to age and heat. The wallet.dat file was on a corrupted sector. A forensics lab charged $2,500 but could not recover the specific file.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Device loss |
| Custody system | Mobile or software wallet |
| Outcome | Blocked |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2020 |
| 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
This archive documents observed custody survivability failures. It does not attempt to document all Bitcoin losses or security incidents.
Submit a case
← All cases
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.
Translate