Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-01109
Hidden wallet discovered — hardware wallet (2023)
IndeterminateCase description
A 2023 case involved a Bitcoin holder who developed early-onset dementia and whose family was unable to obtain access to hardware wallets before the holder lost the ability to communicate credentials. The family held a general financial power of attorney but discovered it was insufficient to access a Trezor device: the attorney power granted authority to manage financial assets but provided no technical mechanism to enter a hardware wallet PIN or passphrase. Without the credentials from the holder, the Bitcoin was inaccessible.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Owner incapacity |
| Custody system | Hardware wallet (single key) |
| Outcome | Indeterminate |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2023 |
| Country | United States |
Structural dependencies observed
What this illustrates
There was only one way in. When that path was gone, so was access. It's not clear whether anyone ever regained access.
Outcome interpretation
Not enough information is available to determine the outcome.
Source
Privately Reported
Evidence type
News article
Related cases involving owner incapacity
68 cases involve owner incapacity
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
← All cases
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.