Documentation absent — hardware wallet (2022)

Survives

Case description

A UK-based executor in 2022 found a Ledger hardware device among a deceased's belongings but no seed phrase. The executor also found a handwritten note that appeared to contain a word list, but only 11 words were legible—the 12th had been obscured by water damage. A recovery service confirmed that with 11 of 12 known words, recovery via exhaustive search of the 2,048-word BIP39 word list was feasible. The case resolved successfully after several days of computation, but only because 11 words had been preserved.

Custody context

Stress condition	Documentation absent
Custody system	Hardware wallet (single key)
Outcome	Survives
Documentation	Unknown
Year observed	2022
Country	United Kingdom

Structural dependencies observed

Technical specialist required

Outcome interpretation

Access remained possible under the reported conditions.

Source

Publicly Reported

Evidence type

News article

Evidence link

https://btcnewsanalysis.com/2022/08/16/how-a-trezor-wallet-passphrase-taking-a-lifetime-to-brute-force-was-cracked-by-keychainx/

Related cases involving documentation absent

193 cases involve documentation absent 274 cases involve hardware wallet (single key) View archive statistics →

This archive documents observed custody survivability failures. It does not attempt to document all Bitcoin losses or security incidents. Submit a case

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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.