Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-01105
Owner death — hardware wallet (2023)
BlockedCase description
A 2023 survey of estate planning attorneys specialising in digital assets found that cases of Bitcoin lost at death continued to accumulate. A common pattern involved holders who had set up self-custody between 2017 and 2021 during bull markets, never documented their setup, and died during the subsequent bear market period. Their families discovered holdings—often visible on blockchain explorers through old emails or exchange history—but had no access credentials. In many of these cases, recovery services confirmed the assets were on-chain but permanently inaccessible.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Owner death |
| Custody system | Hardware wallet (single key) |
| Outcome | Blocked |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2023 |
| Country | International |
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)
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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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