Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-00482
Documentation absent — exchange 2017
IndeterminateCase description
A Bitcoin investment club that had been operating since 2014 dissolved in February 2017 following an internal dispute. The club had never maintained formal accounting, relying instead on a shared spreadsheet. When the three founding members disagreed on each member's share, there was no authoritative record. An independent forensic accountant was engaged but the blockchain records alone could not establish proportional ownership.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Documentation absent |
| Custody system | Exchange custody |
| Outcome | Indeterminate |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2017 |
| Country | Unknown |
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
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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