Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-01312
The holder's will made general reference to 'my cryptocurrency.' However, one of
BlockedCase description
A 2025 estate case described by a California probate attorney involved a holder who had purchased Bitcoin through multiple exchanges between 2017 and 2021. The holder's will made general reference to 'my cryptocurrency.' However, one of the exchanges the holder had used—a mid-tier platform that had shut down in 2023—had retained approximately 0.8 BTC in an unclaimed balance. The exchange's bankruptcy estate had a claims submission deadline that passed before the executor was aware of the account's existence. With no institutional framework for tracing dormant exchange balances to deceased holders, and the exchange now wound down, the balance was unrecoverable.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Documentation absent |
| Custody system | Exchange custody |
| Outcome | Blocked |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2025 |
| Country | United States |
Structural dependencies observed
What this illustrates
The funds were held by a third party. When that party became unavailable, so did the Bitcoin. Access was not recoverable.
Outcome interpretation
Access was not possible under the reported conditions.
Source
Privately 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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