The wallet showed a balance of 4.7 BTC.

Survives

Case description

A 2024 estate case in New York involved a deceased holder whose family found a laminated card in a safety deposit box with a 24-word seed phrase. The seed phrase was correct and functional—the family successfully restored the wallet using Ledger Live. The wallet showed a balance of 4.7 BTC. However, the family then discovered a second hardware device in a desk drawer that showed a different balance—also 4.7 BTC on a separate address. The family could not determine which device represented the actual held balance, or whether both were funded. It was eventually determined through blockchain analysis that both were funded, and the family had discovered a complete backup situation rather than a double-count.

Custody context

Stress condition	Owner death
Custody system	Hardware wallet (single key)
Outcome	Survives
Documentation	Unknown
Year observed	2024
Country	United States

Structural dependencies observed

Single point of failure

Outcome interpretation

Access remained possible under the reported conditions.

Source

Privately Reported

Evidence type

News article

Evidence link

https://wernerlawca.com/estate-planning-for-bitcoin-inheritances-what-you-need-to-know/

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

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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.