Device lost — software wallet 2021

Survives

Case description

A user found in April 2021 during the BTC price peak that their old wallet, created in 2014, was on a hard drive they had been unable to locate. The hard drive was found in a storage unit, but the drive controller board had failed. A data recovery lab replaced the controller and recovered the wallet file.

Custody context

Stress condition	Device loss
Custody system	Mobile or software wallet
Outcome	Survives
Documentation	Unknown
Year observed	2021
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.