Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-00742
A forensics firm spent four months identifying 16 of the estimated 20+ wallets.
ConstrainedCase description
A December 2019 estate case described a living but elderly person whose family discovered, during a health crisis, that the person had accumulated Bitcoin over ten years across more than 20 different wallets and exchanges. No master list existed. The person could not recall most of their holdings. A forensics firm spent four months identifying 16 of the estimated 20+ wallets.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Documentation absent |
| Custody system | Mobile or software wallet |
| Outcome | Constrained |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2019 |
| 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. 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
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.
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