Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-01241
Owner incapacity — hardware wallet (2024)
SurvivesCase description
A 2024 case involved an 82-year-old Bitcoin holder diagnosed with Alzheimer's who had held Bitcoin since 2016. Their son held power of attorney but did not know how to use the hardware wallet. The family engaged a specialist who worked with the holder—still having lucid intervals—to retrieve the seed phrase from its documented location and establish a new custody arrangement the family could manage independently. The case was unusual in that the holder was able to participate. The specialist noted that cases where the holder could provide any information, even fragmentary, had a substantially higher success rate than cases where the holder was completely inaccessible.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Owner incapacity |
| Custody system | Hardware wallet (single key) |
| Outcome | Survives |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2024 |
| Country | United States |
Structural dependencies observed
Outcome interpretation
Access remained possible under the reported conditions.
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.
Translate