Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-01115
Owner incapacity — Kraken (2023)
SurvivesCase description
A family member acting under a durable power of attorney for an incapacitated Bitcoin holder encountered a systematic barrier at Kraken in 2023: the exchange required the POA holder to provide the original account holder's government-issued ID as part of the account access process, in addition to the notarized POA itself. In cases of incapacity where the account holder was in a care facility, retrieving ID documents involved additional steps coordinated with the facility's administration. The total process took eleven weeks.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Owner incapacity |
| Custody system | Exchange custody |
| Outcome | Survives |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2023 |
| Country | United States |
Structural dependencies observed
Outcome interpretation
Access remained possible under the reported conditions.
Source
Publicly Reported
Evidence type
News article
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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