Owner death — hardware wallet (2025)

Blocked

Case description

A 2025 report by Ledger estimated that between 2.3 and 4 million Bitcoin—representing 11–18% of total supply—had been permanently lost, with owner deaths without inheritance plans cited as a major contributing factor alongside early-era mining losses and deliberate disposal. The report projected that $6 trillion in cryptocurrency assets would transfer via inheritance by 2045. The scale of anticipated transfers prompted a significant expansion of specialised digital estate planning practices and custody services with built-in inheritance features, though industry observers noted that awareness of the need for such planning remained low among the general population of Bitcoin holders.

Custody context

Stress condition	Owner death
Custody system	Hardware wallet (single key)
Outcome	Blocked
Documentation	Unknown
Year observed	2025
Country	International

Structural dependencies observed

Single point of failure

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

Evidence link

https://www.ledger.com/academy/topics/crypto/what-happens-to-your-crypto-when-you-die-the-complete-guide

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.