Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-00651
Estate access failure — exchange custody (2019)
SurvivesCase description
A May 2019 estate case involved a deceased who had purchased Bitcoin through a business and held it in a corporate account. The estate had to navigate both probate for the personal estate and company dissolution for the corporate entity. The exchange required documentation from both proceedings before releasing the corporate account balance.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Owner death |
| Custody system | Exchange custody |
| Outcome | Survives |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2019 |
| 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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