Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-00497
Documentation absent — exchange — Japan 2017
ConstrainedCase description
The Mt. Gox civil rehabilitation process in 2017 required creditors to resubmit claims using an updated online portal. Hundreds of creditors whose original documentation had been filed in paper form could not convert their claims to the new format without assistance. The trustee extended deadlines multiple times but some creditors in non-English-speaking countries never received adequate notice of the new requirements.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Documentation absent |
| Custody system | Exchange custody |
| Outcome | Constrained |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2017 |
| Country | Japan |
Structural dependencies observed
What this illustrates
Nobody had written down how to get back in. That knowledge existed only in the owner's head. Whether full access was ultimately possible is unclear, but significant delay or outside intervention was involved.
Outcome interpretation
Access remained possible, but only with delay, dependence, or significant difficulty.
Source
Publicly Reported
Evidence type
News article
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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