Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-00984
Passphrase unavailable — Trezor (2022)
IndeterminateCase description
KeychainX documented in early 2022 that Trezor passphrase recovery cases had become their most common hardware wallet engagement type. The firm's custom GPU-accelerated tooling—built after the case documented in August 2022—operated at 240,000 password attempts per second, enabling recovery of passphrases up to approximately 5 characters with mixed case in under a week. Cases with longer or more complex passphrases still required months and in some cases were assessed as computationally infeasible in any practical timeframe.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Passphrase unavailable |
| Custody system | Hardware wallet (single key) |
| Outcome | Indeterminate |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2022 |
| Country | International |
Structural dependencies observed
What this illustrates
The seed phrase was there, but the passphrase that unlocked it was gone. Both are required. It's not clear whether anyone ever regained access.
Outcome interpretation
Not enough information is available to determine the outcome.
Source
Publicly Reported
Evidence type
News article
Related cases involving passphrase unavailable
217 cases involve passphrase unavailable
274 cases involve hardware wallet (single key)
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.
Translate