Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-01095
Recovery was eventually achieved using btcrecover with a custom wordlist based on
SurvivesCase description
A user who had purchased Bitcoin in 2017 and stored it in an Electrum wallet attempted to move funds to a hardware wallet in June 2022 following the Celsius collapse. On reopening the Electrum wallet after several years of inactivity, the user could not remember the wallet password. The user retained the wallet.dat file. Recovery was eventually achieved using btcrecover with a custom wordlist based on the user's known password patterns from 2017, after approximately three weeks of GPU computation.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Passphrase unavailable |
| Custody system | Desktop Software Wallet |
| Outcome | Survives |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2022 |
| Country | International |
Structural dependencies observed
Outcome interpretation
Access remained possible under the reported conditions.
Source
Privately Reported
Evidence type
News article
Related cases involving passphrase unavailable
217 cases involve passphrase unavailable
25 cases involve desktop software wallet
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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.
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