Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-00844
Documentation absent — exchange custody (2020)
BlockedCase description
A Bitcoin arbitrage fund that had raised funds informally through social media collapsed in March 2020 during the COVID crash. The operator had never provided any documentation of trading activity, account balances, or custody arrangements. When asked to return funds, the operator claimed all money had been lost in the crash but could produce no evidence of any trading activity.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Documentation absent |
| Custody system | Exchange custody |
| Outcome | Blocked |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2020 |
| 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. 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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