Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-00445
Owner incapacity — exchange custody (2017)
ConstrainedCase description
A cryptocurrency investor was in a six-week rehabilitation programme in August 2017, during which internet access was prohibited. Their exchange account held positions that required active management. A family member with informal access made decisions that resulted in poorly-timed sales. The investor had no formal third-party mandate in place.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Owner incapacity |
| Custody system | Exchange custody |
| Outcome | Constrained |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2017 |
| Country | Unknown |
Structural dependencies observed
What this illustrates
There was only one way in. When that path was gone, so was access. Whether full access was ultimately possible is unclear, but significant delay or outside intervention was involved.
Outcome interpretation
Access remained possible, but only with delay, dependence, or significant difficulty.
Source
Publicly Reported
Evidence type
Forum post
Related cases involving owner incapacity
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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