Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-00150
Estate access failure — software wallet (2014)
BlockedCase description
A 2014 probate case involved the estate of a Bitcoin investor who had accumulated significant holdings since 2012. The deceased had stored wallet access credentials in a KeePass file, protected by a master password known only to them. No estate planning document referenced the Bitcoin holdings. The administrator could not access the wallet.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Owner death |
| Custody system | Mobile or software wallet |
| Outcome | Blocked |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2014 |
| 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
Forum post
Related cases involving owner death
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.