Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
Largest Documented Bitcoin Custody Losses
Documented custody cases involving large or very large Bitcoin holdings. These cases represent custody failures where the structural problems had significant financial consequences. All cases are drawn from the archive's documented incident record — this is not a comprehensive list of all large Bitcoin losses.
This view includes 47 very large scale cases (100+ BTC) and 86 large scale cases (10–100 BTC). 66% of determinate cases resulted in permanently blocked access. 29% of large-scale documented cases involved exchange custody — reflecting the concentration of large holdings on platforms.
Documented cases (showing 30 of 133)
100 Bitcoin Lost on Discarded Flash Drive: Permanent Access Failure
Software wallet
During Bitcoin's early adoption phase, when the asset had negligible market value and was treated primarily as an experimental hobby, the original poster create
100 Bitcoin Lost to Discarded Flash Drive Without Backup
Software wallet
An early Bitcoin adopter stored approximately 100 bitcoins on a flash drive during Bitcoin's formative years, likely before 2013, when the asset carried minimal
1000 BTC Across 13 Hard Drives: No Passphrase, No Documentation, No Access
Software wallet
A Bitcoin holder died intestate or with a will naming a relative as beneficiary of a hard drive allegedly containing approximately 1000 BTC. The estate's execut
500 Bitcoin Lost After Police Obtained Seed Phrase
Unknown custody system
Glaidson Acácio dos Santos, a Brazilian cryptocurrency figure, lost control of 500 bitcoins after police obtained his seed phrase. The exact circumstances of th
Corrupted Encrypted Wallet.dat: 100 BTC Recovery Attempt via Pywallet
Software wallet
A user identified as chunglam posted on BitcoinTalk seeking assistance recovering approximately 100 BTC stored in a corrupted wallet.dat file protected by Bitco
Masis Erkol: Forced Cryptocurrency Transfer Under Physical Duress in Pattaya
Unknown custody system
In January 2025, Masis Erkol was forcibly restrained in a condominium in Pattaya, Thailand and coerced to transfer approximately $290,000 in cryptocurrency to h
Kharkiv Kidnapping: 83,000 USDT Transferred Under Physical Coercion
Unknown custody system
In October 2025, a man in Kharkiv, Ukraine was abducted by three individuals posing as military personnel. The attackers zip-tied the victim, subjected him to p
Danylo K. Tortured and Killed in Vienna After Revealing Crypto Wallets
Unknown custody system
In November 2025, Danylo K., identified as the son of the mayor of Kharkiv, Ukraine, was subjected to torture by a fellow student in Vienna, Austria. The perpet
Armed Home Invasion in Herzliya, Israel — 4.94 BTC Transferred Under Duress
Hardware wallet (single key)
In September 2025, armed attackers carried out a home invasion targeting a resident of Herzliya, Israel. The assailants, numbering at least three, bound the vic
Goiania Wrench Attack: Physical Coercion Attempt on Bitcoin Holder Thwarted by Police
Unknown custody system
In June 2025, a cryptocurrency-holding businessman in Goiania, Brazil was lured to what appeared to be a legitimate business meeting. The location was instead a
Armed Home Invasion in Oslo: Family Threatened for Cryptocurrency
Unknown custody system
In August 2025, a family home in Oslo, Norway became the target of a sophisticated coercion attack. Robbers posed as food delivery workers to gain entry, then r
Police Foil Cryptocurrency Entrepreneur Kidnapping in Nantes, France
Unknown custody system
In May 2025, French police in Nantes conducted an arrest operation targeting an organized kidnapping network. Ten men, all wearing balaclavas, were apprehended
Jeju Island Luxury Hotel Robbery: OTC Trader Loses $580K to Armed Gang
Unknown custody system
In January 2025, a Chinese national operating as an over-the-counter (OTC) cryptocurrency trader arranged to meet a group of six individuals at a luxury hotel o
Hong Kong Toddler Abduction: $660,000 USDT Ransom Demand
Unknown custody system
In July 2024, two women abducted a three-year-old boy from a shopping mall in Tseung Kwan O, Hong Kong. The abductors demanded $660,000 in USDT stablecoin as ra
100 Bitcoin Lost on Unbackedup USB Flash Drive: Early Adopter Custody Failure
Software wallet
A BitcoinTalk forum user known as 'oktana' disclosed in March 2024 the loss of 100 bitcoins stored on a USB flash drive. The coins were acquired during Bitcoin'
Cluj Restaurant Owner Kidnapped and Tortured Until $200K Crypto Transferred
Software wallet
In January 2024, a 42-year-old restaurant owner in Cluj, Romania was abducted by attackers who subjected him to severe torture to extract cryptocurrency access.
Armed Home Invasion in Bangkok: $2M Cryptocurrency Stolen from Ke Jibao
Unknown custody system
In August 2024, four Chinese nationals forcibly entered a gated residential estate in Bangkok, Thailand, and conducted an armed robbery targeting Ke Jibao. The
Kidnapping of Crypto Influencer's Wife: Coercion and Bitcoin Custody Risk
Unknown custody system
Stéphane Winkel, a Belgian cryptocurrency influencer, became a target of criminal coercion in December 2024 when his wife was kidnapped by three men in Brussels
Arsalan Malik: $340,000 Bitcoin Transfer Under Armed Duress in Karachi
Software wallet
In December 2024, Arsalan Malik, a cryptocurrency trader based in Karachi, Pakistan, was abducted by five armed men traveling in a vehicle styled to resemble a
Puntarenas Robbery: 11 Israeli Tourists Lose 10+ BTC to Armed Gang
Software wallet
In August 2024, eight men attacked a property in Puntarenas, Costa Rica, where eleven Israeli tourists were staying. The assailants overpowered a security guard
WonderFi CEO Dean Skurka Kidnapped for $1 Million Ransom
Institutional custody
In November 2024, Dean Skurka, CEO of WonderFi, a publicly traded Canadian cryptocurrency company, was kidnapped during evening rush hour in Toronto, Ontario. T
Igor Lermakov Kidnapped in Bali, Coerced to Transfer $200K Cryptocurrency
Exchange custody
Igor Lermakov, a Ukrainian national residing in Bali, Indonesia, was ambushed on a roadway in December 2024 by a four-person Russian organized crime gang. After
Armed Robbery at Barcelona Cryptocurrency Company: Five Attackers, Institutional Funds Seized
Institutional custody
In January 2023, five armed men entered the Barcelona office of an unnamed cryptocurrency company. The attackers were equipped with tasers and zip ties, which t
Yuri Boytsov: Bali Home Invasion and Forced Bitcoin Transfer Under Duress
Software wallet
Yuri Boytsov, a Russian cryptocurrency blogger known for publicly discussing his holdings, became the target of a violent robbery in Bali, Indonesia in February
Tbilisi Cryptocurrency Exchange Robbed of $900,000 Under Duress
Institutional custody
In October 2023, six men executed an armed robbery targeting a cryptocurrency exchange office in Tbilisi, Georgia. The perpetrators forced exchange operators to
Durham Couple Loses $250,000 in Cryptocurrency to Armed Home Invasion
Unknown custody system
In April 2023, two men gained entry to a Durham, North Carolina home by posing as construction workers. Once inside, they confronted a 76-year-old couple and us
GDAC Exchange Security Breach: $13M Cryptocurrency Theft, April 2023
Exchange custody
On April 9–10, 2023, GDAC, a South Korean cryptocurrency exchange, discovered a security breach affecting its hot wallet infrastructure. Attackers transferred a
FTX Exchange Collapse Freezes 1+ Million Customer Accounts — November 2022
Exchange custody
FTX, founded in 2019 by Sam Bankman-Fried, was valued at $32 billion at its peak and operated as one of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges. On Novembe
Barrie Kidnapping: Victim Coerced for $1 Million Bitcoin Ransom
Unknown custody system
In November 2022, a woman identified as A.T. was kidnapped in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Her captors restrained her to a chair, inflicted physical trauma includin
Hoboken Teacher Resists Home Invasion and €3M Bitcoin Coercion Attempt
Hardware wallet (single key)
In January 2022, three men forcibly entered the home of a 34-year-old secondary school teacher in Hoboken, Belgium. The attackers' stated objective was to coerc
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