Passphrase unavailable — software wallet (2020)

Blocked

Case description

A December 2020 forum case describes a user whose wallet passphrase was the model and serial number of a component from a computer they had built in 2013. The computer had been sold and the buyer could not be contacted. Manufacturer records did not link serial numbers to customer purchases from seven years prior.

Custody context

Stress condition	Passphrase unavailable
Custody system	Mobile or software wallet
Outcome	Blocked
Documentation	Unknown
Year observed	2020
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 569 cases involve mobile or 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

← 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.