Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-01312
Documentation absent — hardware wallet (2025)
ConstrainedCase description
A 2025 case involved a holder who had purchased Bitcoin on multiple occasions across seven exchanges over a decade, consolidating periodically. Some early-generation exchange accounts had been established before KYC requirements, using email addresses that no longer existed. When the holder attempted to access one older account, they discovered the email provider had shut down and the recovery email for the exchange account was undeliverable. The exchange required account verification via the original email. A specialist identified a path through the exchange's legacy identity verification process for accounts predating mandatory KYC, recovering access after approximately four weeks.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Documentation absent |
| Custody system | Hardware wallet (single key) |
| Outcome | Constrained |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2025 |
| Country | United States |
What this illustrates
Nobody left instructions. Whoever needed to recover the funds had no starting point. Whether full access was ultimately possible is unclear, but significant delay or outside intervention was involved.
Outcome interpretation
Access remained possible, but only with delay, dependence, or significant difficulty.
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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