Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-00510
Documentation absent — software wallet 2017
BlockedCase description
An estate attorney documented a 2017 case where the deceased had left a letter stating: 'My Bitcoin is on the computer — the number is on the bottom of the router.' The estate found no wallet software on the computer, and the number on the router was a model number, not a PIN. Multiple routers were found at the property and none matched any discovered wallet configuration.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Documentation absent |
| Custody system | Mobile or software wallet |
| Outcome | Blocked |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2017 |
| Country | Unknown |
Structural dependencies observed
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
Related cases involving documentation absent
193 cases involve documentation absent
572 cases involve mobile or software wallet
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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.