Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-00273
The BTER cold wallet hack raised questions about the exchange's cold-storage practices.
IndeterminateCase description
The BTER cold wallet hack raised questions about the exchange's cold-storage practices. Community members were sceptical that a properly air-gapped cold wallet could have been compromised, suggesting either that BTER's cold wallet was not truly offline, or that an insider had facilitated access. BTER provided no forensic report, leaving customers with no independent verification of how the theft occurred.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Documentation absent |
| Custody system | Exchange custody |
| Outcome | Indeterminate |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2015 |
| Country | China |
Structural dependencies observed
What this illustrates
Nobody had written down how to get back in. That knowledge existed only in the owner's head. It's not clear whether anyone ever regained access.
Outcome interpretation
Not enough information is available to determine the outcome.
Source
Publicly Reported
Evidence type
News article
Related cases involving documentation absent
This archive documents observed custody survivability failures. It does not attempt to document all Bitcoin losses or security incidents.
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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.
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