The wallet contained 3.8 BTC, worth approximately $240,000 at the October 2024 price of

Survives

Case description

A 2024 recovery case described by Dave Bitcoin's Wallet Recovery Services involved a Bitcoin Core wallet.dat file that had been encrypted in 2016. The holder remembered the password had been 'based on a song lyric' but could not recall the exact format. The recovery service built a targeted attack using phrases from songs the holder had listed as favourites during that period, with variations on capitalisation, number substitutions, and punctuation. After approximately 72 hours of computation, the correct password—a modified lyric from a specific track—was identified. The wallet contained 3.8 BTC, worth approximately $240,000 at the October 2024 price of $63,000.

Custody context

Stress condition	Passphrase unavailable
Custody system	Desktop Software Wallet
Outcome	Survives
Documentation	Unknown
Year observed	2024
Country	United States

Structural dependencies observed

Technical specialist required

Outcome interpretation

Access remained possible under the reported conditions.

Source

Privately Reported

Evidence type

News article

Evidence link

https://rewallet.com/blog/bitcoin-core-forgotten-password/

Related cases involving passphrase unavailable

217 cases involve passphrase unavailable 25 cases involve desktop 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.