Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-00262
The script was lost in a disk failure in 2013.
BlockedCase description
A forum thread from March 2015 describes a user who encrypted their Bitcoin-Qt wallet with a passphrase generated from a custom algorithm they wrote in 2012. The script was lost in a disk failure in 2013. They could reconstruct the algorithm's logic but not the specific random seed used to generate the passphrase, leaving the brute-force space too large.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Passphrase unavailable |
| Custody system | Mobile or software wallet |
| Outcome | Blocked |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2015 |
| Country | Unknown |
Structural dependencies observed
What this illustrates
The seed phrase was there, but the passphrase that unlocked it was gone. Both are required. Access was not recoverable.
Outcome interpretation
Access was not possible under the reported conditions.
Source
Publicly Reported
Evidence type
Forum post
Evidence link
Related cases involving passphrase unavailable
217 cases involve passphrase unavailable
572 cases involve mobile or 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.