Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-01345
Owner incapacity — hardware wallet (2025)
SurvivesCase description
A 2025 case involved a holder diagnosed with early-stage Parkinson's disease who had begun experiencing tremors that made touchscreen interaction with their mobile Bitcoin wallet unreliable. As the disease progressed, the holder was unable to accurately enter their wallet PIN. They had not created any contingency access arrangement. A technical specialist reconfigured the holder's setup to use a hardware wallet with physical buttons rather than a touchscreen and established a durable power of attorney arrangement explicitly covering digital assets under the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act. The case was resolved proactively before access was fully lost.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Owner incapacity |
| Custody system | Hardware wallet (single key) |
| Outcome | Survives |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2025 |
| 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)
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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.