Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-00986
Owner death — hardware wallet (2022)
BlockedCase description
A New Mexico estate planning attorney described in 2022 the case of a cryptocurrency investor who died in an accident at age 33 with an estimated $60 million in Bitcoin and other crypto assets. The estate plan had been carefully prepared for traditional assets but contained no reference to digital assets, no record of wallet credentials, and no instruction for recovery. The attorney estimated that early New Mexico cryptocurrency buyers had collectively lost millions through similar undocumented holdings at death.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Owner death |
| Custody system | Hardware wallet (single key) |
| Outcome | Blocked |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2022 |
| Country | United States |
Structural dependencies observed
What this illustrates
There was only one way in. When that path was gone, so was access. Access was not recoverable.
Outcome interpretation
Access was not possible under the reported conditions.
Source
Publicly Reported
Evidence type
News article
Related cases involving owner death
119 cases involve owner death
274 cases involve hardware wallet (single key)
View archive statistics →
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