Owner death — hardware wallet (2025)

Blocked

Case description

A 2025 analysis cited in multiple estate planning publications estimated that between $140 billion and $200 billion in Bitcoin—representing 17–23% of circulating supply—was permanently lost, with a significant proportion attributable to holders who died without proper inheritance documentation. As Bitcoin's price exceeded $100,000 in late 2024 and rose further in 2025, the magnitude of the lost supply created measurable scarcity effects. Estate planning specialists reported a 40–60% increase in new client inquiries from Bitcoin holders seeking to establish inheritance arrangements, driven in part by media coverage of both the supply loss statistics and high-profile individual cases.

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.