Documentation absent — software wallet 2016

Blocked

Case description

An estate attorney documented a 2016 case where a client's deceased relative had left a handwritten note in their will addendum referencing 'forty coins on the computer.' The estate found Bitcoin-Qt installed on the computer but the wallet was encrypted. The note provided no passphrase. Three computers were found at the property, each with wallet files of varying ages.

Custody context

Stress condition	Documentation absent
Custody system	Mobile or software wallet
Outcome	Blocked
Documentation	Unknown
Year observed	2016
Country	Unknown

Structural dependencies observed

Undocumented procedureSingle point of failure

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

https://medium.com/@wayne_huang/rsa-2015-panel-bitcoin-s-future-threats-expert-s-roundtable-based-on-150-case-studies-92cc35e68e30

Related cases involving documentation absent

193 cases involve documentation absent 572 cases involve mobile or software wallet 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.