Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-00501
A Coinbase account holder died in May 2017.
SurvivesCase description
A Coinbase account holder died in May 2017. Coinbase's estate process required a court order, a death certificate with apostille, and a notarised letter from the executor. The executor, located in a different country from the deceased, found the apostille process took three months. By the time access was granted Bitcoin had increased substantially in value, complicating the estate valuation.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Owner death |
| Custody system | Exchange custody |
| Outcome | Survives |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2017 |
| 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.
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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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