Owner incapacity — software wallet (2014)

Survives

Case description

A prominent early Bitcoin forum contributor was injured in a road accident in September 2014 and spent two months in rehabilitation. Their Bitcoin wallet was stored on a desktop computer at their home. Family members seeking to pay medical bills on their behalf could not access the wallet, as login credentials were known only to the account holder.

Custody context

Stress condition	Owner incapacity
Custody system	Mobile or software wallet
Outcome	Survives
Documentation	Unknown
Year observed	2014
Country	Unknown

Structural dependencies observed

Single point of failureHardware device required

Outcome interpretation

Access remained possible under the reported conditions.

Source

Publicly Reported

Evidence type

Forum post

Evidence link

https://medium.com/@wayne_huang/rsa-2015-panel-bitcoin-s-future-threats-expert-s-roundtable-based-on-150-case-studies-92cc35e68e30

Related cases involving owner incapacity

68 cases involve owner incapacity 572 cases involve mobile or software wallet 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

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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.