Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-01061
Estate access failure — exchange custody (2022)
SurvivesCase description
In the UK, Bitcoin held on exchanges formed part of a deceased's digital estate but required Letters of Administration or Grant of Probate before an exchange would act on executor instructions. For estates under the UK's small estates threshold, obtaining full probate purely for crypto access was disproportionately burdensome. Executors in 2022 reported average wait times of 12–20 weeks for probate grants due to HM Courts & Tribunals Service backlogs—leaving exchange-custodied Bitcoin inaccessible for months after death.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Owner death |
| Custody system | Exchange custody |
| Outcome | Survives |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2022 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
Structural dependencies observed
Outcome interpretation
Access remained possible under the reported conditions.
Source
Publicly Reported
Evidence type
News article
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.
Translate