Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-00305
Owner death — exchange custody (2016)
SurvivesCase description
An exchange account holder died in November 2016 whose estate included a significant BTC balance. The exchange required a court-appointed estate administrator, a notarised copy of the death certificate, and a court order explicitly naming the cryptocurrency account. The estate completed this process in eight months, during which BTC appreciated substantially in value, and the estate ultimately recovered more USD-equivalent than the original holdings were worth at death.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Owner death |
| Custody system | Exchange custody |
| Outcome | Survives |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2016 |
| Country | Unknown |
Structural dependencies observed
Outcome interpretation
Access remained possible under the reported conditions.
Source
Publicly Reported
Evidence type
Forum post
Related cases involving owner death
This archive documents observed custody survivability failures. It does not attempt to document all Bitcoin losses or security incidents.
Submit a case
← All cases
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.