Passphrase unavailable — software wallet 2017

Blocked

Case description

A forum post from July 2017 describes a user who had used a combination of their blood type and a childhood pet's name as a passphrase. Medical records were checked to confirm the blood type, but the pet's name had multiple plausible spellings and the user could not recall which they had used.

Custody context

Stress condition	Passphrase unavailable
Custody system	Mobile or software wallet
Outcome	Blocked
Documentation	Unknown
Year observed	2017
Country	Unknown

Structural dependencies observed

Single point of failure

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

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=255793.0

Related cases involving passphrase unavailable

217 cases involve passphrase unavailable 572 cases involve mobile or software wallet View archive statistics →

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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.