Owner incapacity — software wallet 2017

Survives

Case description

A Bitcoin user with a progressive motor neurone disease found in May 2017 that their condition had advanced to the point where they could no longer reliably type their wallet passphrase. They engaged an estate attorney to document an access procedure before their condition deteriorated further, creating a formal protocol for supervised access.

Custody context

Stress condition	Owner incapacity
Custody system	Mobile or software wallet
Outcome	Survives
Documentation	Unknown
Year observed	2017
Country	Unknown

Structural dependencies observed

Single point of failure

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

← 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.