Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-01192
A long-term Bitcoin holder attempted to recover a Bitcoin Core wallet encrypted in 2017.
SurvivesCase description
A long-term Bitcoin holder attempted to recover a Bitcoin Core wallet encrypted in 2017. The wallet.dat file had survived multiple computer migrations. The password had never been written down and the holder had relied on muscle memory. A recovery service (ReWallet) was engaged; the service ran systematic brute-force testing across all known password patterns used by the holder in 2017, including combinations with numbers and symbols. After fourteen days of GPU computation, the wallet was successfully opened. The recovery represented a common pattern: passwords set during an early adoption period, never documented, attempted years later after a significant price appreciation.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Passphrase unavailable |
| Custody system | Desktop Software Wallet |
| Outcome | Survives |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2023 |
| 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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