Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-00320
Documentation absent — exchange custody (2016)
BlockedCase description
A Bitcoin high-yield investment program that had been paying daily returns for 18 months collapsed in August 2016. Investors who requested their principal back were told that the 'terms and conditions' specified a 180-day notice period for principal withdrawals. No such clause had been communicated at time of investment. The 180-day period expired simultaneously with the operator's disappearance.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Documentation absent |
| Custody system | Exchange custody |
| Outcome | Blocked |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2016 |
| Country | Unknown |
Structural dependencies observed
What this illustrates
There was no documentation of how access worked. Without it, there was no path 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 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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