Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-01362
The account held approximately $85,000 in Bitcoin.
ConstrainedCase description
A 2025 estate case in Texas involved a deceased holder whose Coinbase account was located through tax records showing crypto-related income. The executor obtained the necessary probate documentation—letters testamentary, death certificate, and notarised executor ID—and submitted them through Coinbase's estate process. The account held approximately $85,000 in Bitcoin. Coinbase completed the estate verification in approximately seven weeks, which the executor described as smoother than expected. However, the executor noted that Coinbase's estate portal was only accessible via desktop browser and that several required document formats were unclear in the initial instructions.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Owner death |
| Custody system | Exchange custody |
| Outcome | Constrained |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2025 |
| Country | United States |
Structural dependencies observed
What this illustrates
Getting access back required help from an institution — and that help wasn't available. Whether full access was ultimately possible is unclear, but significant delay or outside intervention was involved.
Outcome interpretation
Access remained possible, but only with delay, dependence, or significant difficulty.
Source
Privately 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.
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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.