Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-01002
In 2022, attempting to use the key produced errors.
SurvivesCase description
A Bitcoin holder who had purchased BTC in 2017 through a peer-to-peer sale had never created a formal wallet—the private key was a manually typed string they had generated informally. In 2022, attempting to use the key produced errors. The user had transposed two characters when recording the key five years earlier. Because private keys have no checksum mechanism, there was no automated way to identify the error location. Recovery services scanned all single-character transposition variants and recovered access.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Documentation absent |
| Custody system | Hardware wallet (single key) |
| Outcome | Survives |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2022 |
| Country | International |
Structural dependencies observed
Outcome interpretation
Access remained possible under the reported conditions.
Source
Privately Reported
Evidence type
News article
Related cases involving documentation absent
193 cases involve documentation absent
274 cases involve hardware wallet (single key)
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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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