Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
Documented Cases Where Access Was Recovered
Documented cases where Bitcoin custody access was successfully recovered following a stress event. These cases are not representative of custody outcomes generally — they are the subset where recovery succeeded. They document what conditions and recovery paths made success possible.
The most common recovery paths in these cases: Password Bruteforce (21 cases), Technical Recovery (21 cases), Coerced Transfer (13 cases). 39% of recovery-success cases involved a passphrase-unavailable stress condition — the most recoverable of the major stress categories. Exchange-related cases account for a significant share of constrained recoveries through bankruptcy claims and support processes.
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Technical recoveryForgotten passphrase cases
Documented cases (showing 30 of 89)
Partial Seed Backup + Missing Passphrase Flag: BTCRecover Recovery Success
Software wallet
gab0miner created an Electrum wallet offline using a Linux Live CD on an unspecified date, recording only 11 of the required 12 BIP39 seed words into KeePass al
Taehwa Kim: Kidnapped Bitcoin Trader Resists Coercion in Philippines
Hardware wallet (single key)
Taehwa Kim, a Korean Bitcoin trader, was kidnapped in Makati, Philippines in January 2025. He was held hostage for three days by assailants who sought to extrac
Amouranth's $20M Bitcoin Wallet Posted Publicly; Armed Home Invasion Followed
Unknown custody system
Kaitlyn Siragusa, a prominent streaming and content creator known online as Amouranth, posted a screenshot displaying what appeared to be a $20 million Bitcoin
Italian Crypto Entrepreneur Survives Torture Ordeal in Manhattan, Keeps Bitcoin
Unknown custody system
In May 2025, a 28-year-old Italian cryptocurrency entrepreneur based in New York City was abducted and held captive in a luxury Manhattan apartment for several
Attempted Kidnapping of Pierre Noizat's Daughter in Paris — Attack Foiled
Unknown custody system
In May 2025, the daughter of Pierre Noizat, chief executive of French cryptocurrency exchange Paymium, was attacked in broad daylight in Paris. The assailants a
TikTok Crypto Trader Kidnapped in Juvisy-sur-Orge, France — Released After Minimal Balance Found
Software wallet
In June 2025, a cryptocurrency trader and TikTok content creator was kidnapped by four men while returning home to Juvisy-sur-Orge, a suburb south of Paris. The
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
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
Irvine Home Invasion Targeting $3.8 Million in Cryptocurrency — Seven Arrested
Unknown custody system
In September 2025, seven suspects forced entry into a residential property in Irvine, California. Operating under the belief that occupants possessed approximat
Ledger Hardware Wallet: Multiple Account Discovery After Failed Seed Verification
Hardware wallet (single key)
On March 21, 2024, ContourCool attempted a long-deferred security verification of their Ledger hardware wallet by importing their seed phrase into SeedSigner an
Samourai Wallet Seizure: Recovering Bitcoin After Platform Shutdown
Software wallet
On April 28, 2024, a BitcoinTalk user reported that Bitcoin deposited to their Samourai Wallet became inaccessible following the FBI's shutdown of the platform.
Benjamin Appiah Boateng Tortured for Bitcoin in Ghana; Police Rescue Prevents Transfer
Unknown custody system
In December 2024, Benjamin Appiah Boateng, a businessman based in Laboma Beach, Ghana, was lured under false pretenses to a meeting location. Upon arrival, he w
Victoriaville Forum Moderator Survives Two Kidnapping Attempts Over Bitcoin Holdings
Hardware wallet (single key)
In November 2024, a Bitcoin forum moderator residing in Victoriaville, Quebec, Canada, became the target of two coordinated kidnapping attempts separated by fou
Tim Heath Repels Kidnap Attempt by Fake Painters at Tallinn Rental Home
Hardware wallet (single key)
In July 2024, Tim Heath, a cryptocurrency billionaire, faced a coordinated physical attack at his rental property in Tallinn, Estonia. Men posing as painters ga
Trezor Passphrase Forgotten After Factory Reset — Successful Recovery via Community Support
Hardware wallet with passphrase
BTCRSMD, a moderately experienced Bitcoin user, executed a deliberate custody strategy in July 2024. The user purchased Bitcoin via Swan and routed the coins th
Benalmádena Kidnapping: Crypto Businessman Rescued by Spanish Police
Unknown custody system
In May 2023, three individuals kidnapped a cryptocurrency businessman in Benalmádena, Spain, and demanded a €1 million ransom. The incident represents a custody
Russian Bitcoin Miner Kidnapped and Ransomed; Rescued by Police
Hardware wallet (single key)
In December 2023, a 23-year-old cryptocurrency miner was abducted from his home in Izhevsk, Russia. The perpetrators held him for ransom, attempting to coerce h
Splashboard Trezor Passphrase Recovery: Third-Party Assisted Access Restoration
Hardware wallet with passphrase
Splashboard, a Bitcoin holder with minimal public forum presence, purchased a Trezor hardware wallet in late 2021 and performed initial setup. During the setup
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
Little Elm, Texas Home Invasion: $1.4M Hardware Wallet Sought but Not Found
Hardware wallet (single key)
In December 2022, armed home invaders broke into a residential property in Little Elm, Texas, and subjected the occupants to approximately three hours of tortur
Blockchain.com KYC Re-Verification Lockout: 30-Day Withdrawal Freeze
Exchange custody
In October 2021, a Blockchain.com user encountered a mandatory identity verification step during login—a process previously completed without friction. The veri
Inherited Bitcoin Recovery After Mother's Death: 10 BTC Sold, Remainder Secured
Software wallet
A sole heir inherited Bitcoin holdings from their mother, who died the day after Thanksgiving 2020. The heir possessed complete recovery documentation: a 12-wor
Forgotten 115-Character Wallet Password Recovered via GPU Typo-Bruteforce
Software wallet
In August 2017, a Bitcoin enthusiast created a Bitcoin Core wallet secured by a 115-character sentence-based password and wrote it down. In June 2019, when they
Oslo Bitcoin Millionaire's Escape From Armed Home Invader (2019)
Hardware wallet (single key)
In May 2019, a Bitcoin millionaire residing in Oslo, Norway became the target of an armed home invasion. The attacker confronted the victim at his apartment, bu
Electrum Seed Version 18 Password Recovery: btcrecover Incompatibility Resolved
Software wallet
In December 2019, a BitcoinTalk user (red14159) discovered a wallet.dat file from an Electrum wallet they had lost access to approximately three years earlier.
Computer Crash with wallet.dat Backup: Bitcoin Core Recovery Without Private Key Export
Software wallet
In February 2018, a Bitcoin Core user experienced a total computer crash requiring complete system reinstallation. The user had previously used an Armory wallet
Paper Wallet QR Code Case Mismatch: Single Character Locked Access for 2.5 Years
Software wallet
Al Reno generated an offline paper wallet using bitaddress.org in August 2018, manually printing both public and private keys with QR codes to physical paper. H
Bither Desktop Wallet Application Crash: 3-Year Recovery via Password Rediscovery
Software wallet
Sygun created a Bither wallet in March 2018 holding approximately 0.019 BTC. At an unspecified point, the Bither application ceased launching entirely—double-cl
MultiBit Classic Password Lock: Recovery Through Backup Key File Import
Software wallet
A BitcoinTalk user (cluuze130) deposited Bitcoin into MultiBit Classic approximately one year before attempting withdrawal in February 2018. At the time of depo
Blockchain.info Wallet Access Failure: Platform Login System Change (2017)
Exchange custody
In March 2014, a user created a Blockchain.info-hosted wallet and received a 12-word recovery passphrase as the sole access credential. The user documented the
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