Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
Forced relocation
Cases in this category involve custody arrangements that depended on physical access to a specific location or jurisdiction which the owner was forced to leave.
Forced relocation cases expose geographic dependencies that are invisible during normal operation. Most custody setups implicitly assume the owner retains physical access to their home country, devices, and stored materials. Cases in this category involve deportation, border detention, conflict displacement, and emergency evacuation — situations where that assumption fails abruptly.
91 observed cases
Blocked
15 (16%)
Constrained
49 (54%)
Survives
18 (20%)
Indeterminate
9 (10%)
Forced relocation — exchange custody (2015)
Exchange custody
Ukrainians in conflict-affected eastern regions in 2015 who held BTC on domestic exchanges found that the exchanges required in-person branch verification to re
Forced relocation — exchange custody (2015)
Exchange custody
During the Greek debt crisis of June–July 2015 capital controls were imposed, limiting bank withdrawals to €60/day. Several Greeks who held BTC on foreign excha
P2P BTC-to-euro conversion became the only avenue, with significant slippage.
Exchange custody
During the extended Greek capital controls of July 2015, Greeks who held BTC on domestic wallets or exchanges found that the government's bank holiday also froz
The confiscation lasted 90 days while authorities investigated a suspected customs
Mobile or software wallet
A Bitcoin holder who was detained at an international border had their mobile phone examined by border agents who discovered and confiscated a hardware wallet f
When those verification prompts triggered in early 2015, affected customers could not
Exchange custody
Several Chinese Bitcoin exchange customers who had relocated abroad for work found that their Chinese exchange accounts required periodic domestic ID verificati
A Syrian refugee who had stored Bitcoin as portable wealth fled their country in 2015.
Mobile or software wallet
A Syrian refugee who had stored Bitcoin as portable wealth fled their country in 2015. Their mobile phone was confiscated at a border crossing. The phone contai
When their mainland SIM expired and was reassigned by the carrier, they could no longer
Exchange custody
A Chinese Bitcoin holder who had moved to Hong Kong for work found that their mainland Chinese exchange account required verification through a mainland Chinese
The holder had no ability to access or protect their BTC during the seizure period.
Mobile or software wallet
A Bitcoin holder whose phone was seized at customs during international travel in August 2014 had no secondary access to their wallet. The phone was held for ex
Forced relocation — exchange custody (2014)
Exchange custody
A stateless refugee who had been using Bitcoin as a portable store of value held their primary balance on a European exchange that required a domestic bank acco
Forced relocation — exchange custody (2014)
Exchange custody
Following the political crisis in Ukraine in early 2014, several Ukrainian Bitcoin users who had fled the country found they could not complete identity verific
Forced relocation — exchange custody (2014)
Exchange custody
Following the Russian Finance Ministry's February 2014 statement that Bitcoin use could be prosecuted under anti-money-laundering laws, several Russian Bitcoin
Forced relocation — exchange custody (2014)
Exchange custody
Russian government statements in February and April 2014 made clear that Bitcoin transactions could be prosecuted. Several Russian citizens who held BTC on inte
Forced relocation — software wallet (2014)
Mobile or software wallet
A Bitcoin holder who was detained at a border crossing in 2014 had their mobile phone seized as part of an investigation. The phone contained the only copy of t
Gox's new KYC procedures and were locked out of their account.
Exchange custody
A Bitcoin holder who fled their home country due to civil unrest in 2013 could only access their assets through a Mt. Gox account. From their new location in a
Forced relocation — software wallet 2013
Mobile or software wallet
A Bitcoin holder who was deported from their country of residence in 2013 was unable to retrieve a computer containing their wallet before departure. The device
Forced relocation — exchange 2013
Exchange custody
A Bitcoin holder who was abruptly detained and later expelled from a country in 2013 had their primary Bitcoin holdings on a local exchange that required local