Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-00100
Several ASIC mining hardware manufacturers who had accepted BTC pre-orders in 2013–14
BlockedCase description
Several ASIC mining hardware manufacturers (beyond Butterfly Labs) who had accepted BTC pre-orders in 2013–14 went silent in early 2014. They had no published refund policies, no customer records accessible to buyers, and no escrow arrangements. When they stopped communicating, buyers had no documented entitlement to hardware or refunds.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Documentation absent |
| Custody system | Unknown custody system |
| Outcome | Blocked |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2014 |
| 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
Evidence link
Related cases involving documentation absent
193 cases involve documentation absent
20 cases involve unknown custody system
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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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